Before time
by LC roberts
Summary: What really happened before Edward became immortal? Was Spanish influenza just a cover up for some deeper and darker secret? Umbrella’s uncontrollable virus was never supposed to reach above ground. This is the nightmare that Edward forgot...
1. Chapter 1

Okay, so this is the first fanfic that I've ever posted online!! I decided to do a combo of twilight and resident evil. This is before Edward became a vampire, but I couldn't stand to base the year in the 1900's. So I made it more modern, lets just pretend that Stephanie Meyer's books are based in the future from today. I do not own any character from the book series twilight or the characters from resident evil. But a few, like Valerie, are my own. ENJOY!

CHAPTER ONE:

"Happy birthday to you…"

They were singing. Singing again, the same group of people since I was five years old. My parents, by best friend Valerie and her brother Phil. They were singing for the twelfth time in my life.

I allowed them to sing until the end, which in my opinion was very good of me. I hated birthdays, I never wanted to grow up. When I was a younger boy I wanted to stay there forever with Valerie and Phil, running around the neighborhood, finding different things to cause trouble over.

I looked at my chocolate cake that mom made me, and my stomach churned. I hated sweets, sugar was never really my thing. Why couldn't it be a huge cantaloupe? Or a bunch of apples? I could live off fruit for the rest of my life. Its all I liked to eat.

I realized that the singing had stopped and they were waiting for me to blow out my candles. I quickly huffed and did it, looking at Valerie and the smirk she had on her face.

They applauded, mom loaded plates with cake, dad clapped me on the back.

"Your becoming more of a man every year J.R." he said. That's what he liked to call me. I was named after my father 'Edward Sr.' and so I was 'Edward Jr.' Yet another thing I hated.

Edward… What kind of a name was Edward? Why couldn't my dad suffer alone on that one? He just had to go and plague his only son with a lifetime of annoyance. Not that I was disappointed in my dad often. I loved my parents, more then anything in the world. They always knew best and I looked up to each of them. They were very popular, and did good for the community. Everyone adored them, and even though they always made me feel like the most important thing on earth I always felt that I was never good enough to stand beside them.

"Baby don't you want any cake?" mom asked me, she was setting everyone else up and I failed to realize that there was a huge piece in front of me. My concentration was off today.

"Mom, you know I don't like it." I told her, and scowled at Valerie and Phil, who were both smirking now. Val blew me a kiss, and I rolled my eyes.

"Well then, in that case I got you some watermelon out in the backyard, its cut up and everything. You just go right ahead and get you a piece if you want one."

"Thanks," I smiled at my beautiful mother and stood up to give her a kiss. "I love you."

On my way out of the kitchen I clapped my dad on the back like he had done to me. When I was closer to the door I shoved Phil's head into his plate and everyone began to laugh. I didn't stick around so they had an excuse to start throwing chocolate everywhere.

When I ducked outside, I took in some fresh air. It couldn't have been more beautiful out here. It was my favorite place to be. I hated feeling enclosed so I spent almost every waking second outdoors. Now that I was away from everyone I could just think without having to act. Today was my least favorite day of the year. The spotlight, the presents, Valerie and Phil doing everything they could to rub it all in. I knew that they would be the ones to help mom make the cake and set the party, and I was sure that Val would be the one to make me pay with adding something tonight. The whole neighborhood probably already had invites and the entire school population would show up at my front door ready for the yearly Mason party.

Oh god.

I got to the table where the watermelon slices were waiting, and took one. Sitting on the table I sighed and took a bite. Okay, so it sucked, but at least it only happened once a year, and I did the same thing to Val and Phil when it was their turn… Valerie's last birthday memories brought a smile to my face.

I had asked the principle to announce it over the intercom when it was her birthday, and since he was friends with my dad he nodded and even let me laugh in the background so she knew it was me when she heard the announcement. Then I had told everyone to spray her down with silly string as she walked down the hall, and pelt her with water balloons after school. All while yelling happy birthday.

She hated me and swore revenge. So naturally I was terrified, and cake was only the beginning.

"Hello handsome." A pair of arms wrapped around me from behind and I threw the watermelon aside.

"When are we going to let up on this yearly battle Val?" I asked my best friend's hands.

She dropped her hold and walked to the front of me. Valerie was my favorite person, and I was one hundred percent sure that there was no one better in the world. She was the most beautiful thing I had ever set eyes on, even when I was five and didn't realize that she was a girl. I constantly looked at her and wondered how the hell she got to be in front of me, and how I got to be so fortunate to have someone like her in my life. I never really fell in love with her, but I loved her more then a best friend yet less then a lover. I couldn't imagine my life without her and wanted her there when the most crucial things happened.

Valerie's hair was long and dark, and her eyes were a piercing green. From what guys told me at school everyone wanted her. She had the best body, the most elegant face, and the best way they could describe her always seemed to be that she looked like a fairy or an angel. In my opinion, those descriptions didn't do her any justice. She was much more beautiful then that.

What I cherished more was that I knew her better then anyone else, even Phil who was almost always at her side. They were very close, and I always had wanted something like that. My parents had made the decision long ago that they would stop at one. But in all honesty I don't think that if I had a sibling that we would be closer then me and Val, I just couldn't see that.

I looked at her beautiful yet guilty face and smiled.

"I still haven't forgotten those water balloons, jerk." She said, brushing a long strand of hair out of her face. "But it could stop after this, it's getting pretty old."

"You know, you could have just let me have the finale. That was great."

"_You_ know me better then that."

I shrugged. "Your funeral."

Valerie started pacing in front of me as she always did when she was in deep thought. But what was unique about this was that she only liked to pace on her tiptoes. She had the balance of a goddess.

"Okay, lets just say that I've done this one out of good grace. That way you still win and I'm the good guy." She stopped and skipped over, jumping on the table to sit next to me. "That way we all win really, then we can call it even and next time you just get me something nice and secret."

"What could you possibly want me to get you that is secret?"

"I don't know," she wiggled her brows. "We're both seventeen now, what will an eighteen year old girl want that she doesn't already have."

I sighed. "How selfish of you to already plan your next birthday on mine."

"Your right, the self loathing I feel now is killing me."

We laughed and looked down at our feet. The thing about me and Val was that we became accustomed to moving the exact same way sometimes. It was hard to be my own person around her, because when I was with her nothing would have been more identical then my own reflection. I shifted left, and she did at the exact same moment. I took a step forward with my right foot, and she did. I took in a certain amount of air and so did she. I guess it was what you got when you spent everyday with the same person. I would have been surprised if I read her mind and she wasn't thinking the exact same words I was thinking now.

We were, in the lame way of putting it, the exact same person.

"So who did you invite to come tonight?"

"What do you mean?"

I looked up at her feeling annoyance shape my features. "You know what I mean."

"I didn't invite anyone," she smiled. "I don't know what your talking about."

"Okay, who did Phil invite tonight?"

"Is it that obvious?"

I looked at her full on in the face. She seemed truly disappointed that I figured out her plan. Which made no since because that was the best thing she had come up with after all these years. The same routine 'Mason Party' and the something a little different and embarrassing afterwards. Nothing extremely different however. Always the same.

"What do you mean obvious? You do it ever year!"

"Oh, that… Yeah." She cleared her throat and looked away.

My eyes widened. "Val… What did you do?"

"Nothing… Same old."

"Liar."

"Uh-huh."

"What?"

She rolled her eyes and looked at me, and then her expression changed. This was the look that always made my throat clench. She had this way about her, and I knew exactly what she was about to say before she opened her mouth-

"Why do you have to look so impossibly handsome and just be my best friend?"

She always said that… The first time she did she was six years old, and as always it was to distract me from the present conversation.

It was my turn to roll my eyes.

"Shut up."

"I'm serious!"

"Why do you always say that?"

"Because its true."

"I'm not handsome…" Despite myself I smiled and looked back at my feet.

"I can see that you really believe that." I saw her grin in the corner of my eye.

This was idiotic.

"I don't see how you _cant _see that!" Valerie said impatiently, and I braced myself for the normal argument. "You're a right bastard."

"For being modest?"

"It's very modest of you for thinking your modest I'm sure."

"Go away."

"You know, one day your going to say that and I'm not coming back."

"Probably."

She stopped at that, and I looked at her face again wondering where her normal fight was, and my heart fell when I saw that she truly looked upset.

"I think I will." she said, and she got up.

"Wait, I was just fooling around, you know that." I grabbed her wrist before she could get any further.

"Edward, I have to tell you something." She was serious now.

"No you don't."

She looked down with a weak smile. "I do."

"Okay."

This time when she sat down, it was further away from me. It was a while before she spoke again and I watched her as she was trying to put words together. This was bad, I could tell. Valerie never got serious.

"I _am_ going away." she finally said. "I have to, in a few weeks."

"Okay," I repeated. "when are you coming back?"

She shook her head. I cleared my throat. We hadn't spent a single day away from each other for twelve years. This _was_ bad.

"Where?"

"Look, this isn't supposed to be about me." She shook her head and smiled again trying to lighten things up once more, she pointed to herself. "Selfish."

I shook my head. "Where?"

She sighed. "I have to go across seas with my parents. Phil is staying with a friend here… He says that he has a job and he can take care of himself now, and seeing as he's eighteen…"

"Wait… You can stay with me, you know mom and dad wouldn't mind. Your not far from eighteen, and you can get a job-"

"I already tried that. No go."

We looked at each other for a long time, and then at the watermelons on the table.

"No." I shook my head.

"Edward, you knew one day we would grow up and leave each other to our own lives."

"No we didn't, we were going to be neighbors with children who would become

best friends."

"I know," she shrugged. "That's the best thing I could come up with."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Because I really hate you, and I didn't think it was that important."

"Stop trying to be funny." I truly just felt like I dyed inside. Life without Valerie?

"Sorry, do you want me to be more dramatic?"

"That would fit the mood a little better."

She put the back of her right hand on her forehead and pretended to faint. I watched her land on the grass below and couldn't help but smile… This wasn't happening, my Valerie couldn't be leaving me now, not when we had a lifetime to live together.


	2. Chapter 2

So the last entry you read was basically the beginning of getting to know the relationships between the characters I presented to you. The Pagan family is my own creation (Valerie and Phil). I hope you stick with me through a few more chapters so you can bond with these characters and understand them. I couldnt jump right into the horror, it would have been pointless. The main character to each chapter will trade between Edward and Valerie. Again, I do not own any characters from Twilight or Resident Evil. ENJOY!!

CHAPTER TWO:

I sat back and listened to Edward try to form yet another plan on how I could stay here with him, and lit another cigarette. We had been going at this for an hour now and he hadn't moved from the spot that I had found him in. I was sprawled out on the grass looking up at the sky. I really was beginning to like it here, beside the fact that I had my whole life to warm up to the place. I always hated it until now, but that was just like me. Always wanting things that I couldn't have.

I watched my best friend as his face strained in concentration. Well to anyone else it would look like he was concentrating, but I knew that he was going through one of his inner struggles to keep it all together. Edward was such an angry person, and I could never figure out why that was. I suppose that he was just born with anger, but then my mother always said so was I. Though I had reasons to be extremely angry.

This wasn't fair, telling him on his birthday. Sure, we always acted like it was any other day before, beside constantly annoying each other about the fact. I know that he didn't care, and like me he hated birthdays, but it was our last one together. I took a drag from my cigarette and then jumped up.

"Look, there's no way around it okay?" I told him. "So lets just forget about it until later, today's supposed to be special."

Edward narrowed his eyes. This was my favorite expression on him. I was always constantly mesmerized by every movement he made, but this one was special because I only ever saw him do it to me. It wasn't a scowl, it was confusion. He was trying to figure out where I was coming from and failing. This would last for a minute, and I would stare back, and then he would nod and pretend that the entire previous conversation never happened until later just to humor me.

But this time a minute passed and he was still scrutinizing my face, slowly beginning to shake his head.

"What?"

"This isn't one of your random problems that we're dealing with Val, this is serious."

"I figured that out, but I just wanted to forget it for now okay? Today's supposed special." I repeated.

I held my breath as he stood up and approached me, getting so close that our toes touched. He looked down at me, concentrating. Then he put his hands on my shoulders and shook me slightly.

"My best friend is leaving me in a few weeks and we've never spent a day apart for as long as we can remember. She didn't tell me until now, and time is running out. What am I going to do without her? Life will be empty."

I shrugged and broke eye contact, looking down at his feet. When I looked back his eyes were narrowed again. He swallowed hard and I watched as his Adams apple rose and fell. I leaned forward and buried my face in his neck and breathed in.

Whoa, this was weird… What was wrong with me?

His skin was so smooth and warm. I flicked the remainder of my cigarette away and snuggled closer. I knew that the same things were going through his mind. This was a comfortable awkward, much like the first time we ever had a sleep over and woke up cuddling under the blankets. Much like the first time we streaked down the street and looked at each other on accident… So I wrapped my arms around his waist.

I knew that it was wrong. We were best friends that crossed lines a lot, but never dwelled on the awkward and just tended to let that emotion go. I felt him wrap his arms around my shoulders gently and lay his cheek on my forehead. His body fit mine perfectly, every curve, every dip. He was a head taller then me, which I was extremely grateful for. I was taller then everyone else our age, even most of the boys so it was easy to feel like a freak.

"I'm sorry." I breathed into his collar bone. "I didn't want it to be a big deal."

"You never want anything to be a big deal Valerie. Sometimes you have to take things more seriously."

"What fun is life if its always so serious?"

"There's certain times for each emotion."

I grunted, annoyed. I hated when he got like this.

"You smell like cigarettes." He said with a sigh.

"Shut up."

"I like it."

I pulled back from him and looked up at his face. He was smiling that sideways smile that drove all the school girls insane.

"I don't, I hate when you tell me that."

"It's your fault, I'm just stating the obvious."

I shrugged it off and backed away. Moments like these were nice with Edward, but I just couldn't keep them up. It made me feel way too close to him, and under the current circumstances I really didn't want to feel that way. Two weeks, it was enough to get tired of one another and make the parting easier. I was going to try my hardest to start being distant with him so we could get used to it.

"Don't do that." He said, all traces of his godly smile gone.

"What?"

"You know what."

I studied his face, and he looked hurt. Had he really just guessed what I was thinking? It wouldn't necessarily be odd because that's what too much time with someone would do to you. But I hoped that it wouldn't have come to this, where he could see right through me.

"What do you think I'm going to do Edward?"

"Well, the obvious thing to do would be to start pushing me away so it doesn't hurt as bad when you leave, and that's exactly the type of thing you would do."

"Good job."

"So, why would you do that when we could be making the last times we have together the best?"

"I don't know, thought it would work."

The back door opened and Phil came out of the house. He was walking with a bounce in his step, which told me that our plan was working. A quick smile in my direction told me all that I needed to know, but then it was put out when he saw our faces. When my brother landed beside of us he began looking back and forth between us trying to understand the reasoning behind what ever expression we were holding.

"You told him?" He asked me, understanding.

"Yeah." We both answered in the same discouraged voice.

"I thought there was a reason that it took you two so long to come back." Phil nodded to Edward once and then glanced sideways at me. "So I decided to let you guys have some time… But Eddie and Liz were wondering what was up, so I hope you don't mind if I already told them."

I huffed and then scowled at my brother.

"It's probably best you did," Edward told him. "I'm sure they were going to wonder why I'll be moping around the house for the rest of my life."

I looked down at my feet again… This sucked.

Moment of awkward silence, which I noted would have been less awkward if Phil wasn't there bouncing on the balls of his feet still looking at us in turn.

"So I think we can waist a few hours." Phil told me more then Edward, who threw back his head and looked at the sky in annoyance. "So what do you guys want to do?"

"Lets go shooting." Edward suggested. "I could shoot Val for not telling me sooner and it can look like an accident."

"After you." I held my hand out with an over exaggerated smile toward the shed.

We filed to get our guns that Edwards dad had got us all for Christmas when we were nine years old. My parents never knew about this, and me and Phil made an effort to keep it quiet. But Elizabeth, Edwards mom, had a fit that did justice for all parents. I smiled, remembering how her eyes widened when we opened them, and she snatched all three rifles up and towed them away with her husband in toe. They had spent the rest of the afternoon arguing, and then Liz had talked to us about how we were too young to handle something so dangerous. But Eddie had interjected and said that he would bring us to a shooting range to learn. Liz later came to a compromise with him.

"Hey Edward, remember that time-"

"That mom and dad fought over our guns for Christmas?" He smiled. "Yeah, that was great."

Phil laughed at us. "How do you guys do that?"

We shrugged and picked up our rifles, I led the way out.

It was a half hour hike to our favorite place to start firing off. It was silent most of the way, which I was grateful for. I needed to think of plans to do with Edward before I had to leave, plans that wouldn't hurt us to remember. On the way I skipped over logs laying across the ground. I liked to do this to entertain and scare my brother and Edward. I would take huge leaps and they would gasp when I would barely make it to the next log. I was great with balance, never having to take a ballet class that my mother would have insisted on if I had been born clumsy. This was always a routine thing that I liked to do in the woods, keeping the boys on the balls of their feet incase I didn't make it.

Even after all these years they still didn't trust me.

"Val stop it!" Edward shouted from at least a hundred feet behind me after I had made one of my more dangerous leaps.

I looked back at him and blew him the traditional kiss that I loved to do. The reason behind this was it was my way of rubbing things in his face without words. He couldn't stand it. I put my rifle on the ground and jumped up and grabbed a thick branch on a willow tree. When I pulled myself up and balanced out on it as far as I could, Phil and Edward were almost directly below me and I was at least fifteen feet off the ground.

"Get down from there monkey!" Phil's voice was calm, but his face gave his true worry away.

"Valerie Anne Pagan, you are so stubborn!" Edward said through gritted teeth.

"Edward Anthony Mason, you're a pussy." I smiled down at him.

"If that branch gives way I swear I'm just going to step back and watch you fall."

"Liar."

"I swear." He threw up his hands and stood back, crossing his arms over his chest.

I took a few steps further out and pretended to lose my balance. When I gasped and writhed about I saw Edward run below me with his arms outstretched. I laughed. Bracing myself, I bent my knees and did a back flip off of the branch and barely landed on my feet. My hands caught the ground, but I just stood up and brushed them off on my jeans.

I looked at Phil. "I cant believe that you weren't the one running to save me. Some brother."

"Unlike Edward, I would have laughed."

I looked at Edward and giggled. "Liar." I repeated.

"You…" But he didn't say anything else. He picked up my rifle and handed it to me, then turned to lead the rest of the way.

When we got to the clearing I could tell that the animals had probably made a playground out of our set up. The wood that we had been using as a target was knocked over and had bite marks on the side and the bottles were scattered everywhere. We all sighed in unison and then started cleaning the mess and making due with what we still had.

Shooting was my favorite thing to do, especially since I was the best at it. I would absolutely cream the boys when it came to this, which brought me so much pride that a smile would be stuck on my face for the rest of the day. Edward was second best, but no where near me, which made me snigger when he would get mad and throw his rifle down.

"Watch it, Edward." Phil said, stepping up for his turn. "That's going to backfire one day."

"Just hurry up so we can get out of here." Edward walked up to me and held out his hand.

"Oh no, never again." I told him shaking my head.

"Give me."

"No."

"Please?"

"We'll share one." I took out my pack of cigarettes and slowly slid one of my last ones out, then lit in and took a long drag, watching him.

When I held the cigarette out for him to take, he attempted to take a longer drag and I studied his face.

"What's going on?" I asked him, but it was obvious.

He shook his head and I nodded. The last time that he had asked for a cigarette his grandmother had died and it was the worst day that I had ever seen him go through. He went home smelling of it and we had to convince his dad, who thought that people who smoked were weak, that it was because of me that he smelled that way. Now, it was because he felt like he was losing someone else that he gave into this. When he handed me the cig back I took it and turned away. I started pacing the clearing while my brother took his shot. If Phil was ever faced with a life or death situation and he had to use a gun to survive, he would die.

"Phil, its been eight years that we've had these and you still suck." I declared, sounding more rude then I intended.

"Your so supportive sis."

"Says the brother that would have let me fall to my doom."

Edward held out his hand when I walked by him again not bothering to look at me. I knew it was because he couldn't, I knew that the look on his face wasn't genuine anger that he felt. Not toward me at least. I handed him the cigarette.

"You do suck Phil."

"Thanks Edward." he put his rifle down after his third shot and sat on a stump nearby. "So when are you guys going to start being nicer to me?"

"When you stick behind your sister and make sure that she doesn't have to up and leave a place that she's happy."

Both Phil and I looked at him with wide eyes. This wasn't like him at all, Edward didn't take things out on us. Edward didn't blame anyone but himself for that matter. I looked at Phil and shook my head, hoping that he would get the silent message. Edward didn't mean it.

"What are you trying to say Ed?" Phil asked, shifting his weight and narrowing his eyes at my best friend.

"I just said it."

I walked over to him and took the cigarette away, took a final drag, and then stumped it out. I stood in his view of my brother and forced him to look at me. When he looked into my eyes there was something different there that I had never seen before, and it scared me

"What are you doing Edward?" I asked him.

He shook his head and looked away, "I don't know. I don't want to be here. I don't care anymore… I could go with you."

"Why are you saying this? Look at what you have here."

"I don't care Val… You don't understand. I'm free with you!" He backed away and started pacing. "I don't have to pretend to be happy, I don't even have to talk. You're the only person that gave me that all my life and your leaving. Your leaving me to suffocate."

"You know I wouldn't if-"

"I know… Look, just forget it. I'm sorry Phil."

"It's-"

I cut Phil off. "No, you've never looked this way before. I'm not going to forget it. What do you want to do?"

"I… I want to run! Lets run! We could pull it off, just the three of us."

"Phil has a life here Edward-"

"Phil can build a new life, so can we."

I watched as he looked at Phil and gave him an offering expression. When I glanced at my brother he had excitement in his eyes. I shook my head slowly and looked back, Edward was smiling at me.

"Screw this small town. Screw our old lives. We can make it on our own-"

"No Edward, think of what your saying. Do you want to leave your parents? How do you think your mom would react to this? Our parents would have every police officer out searching for us. They could put us away as juveniles if they wanted to. My parents would fight so hard that not even your dad could get us out of it."

What Edward was failing to remember was all the times that we broke the law and how much my parents knew. They hated Edward almost as much as they hated me and Phil. They weren't the greatest of people and the liked to hold grudges. The only reason that we weren't put away for our mischief now was because Eddie liked to pay his way through things, and they needed someone to do their housework… Which, now that I thought about it, Eddie could be put away for bribery. This wasn't good.

"Think Edward. Think of how irrational your being." I told him. "Your jumping to all the wrong conclusions, you just found out a few hours ago and your ready to run away."

"So?" his brows furrowed.

"So two hours isn't enough to think on something like that and have a solid plan."

"We can make it solid as we go." He grabbed my shoulders like before, but started rubbing my upper arms as if he was trying to calm me. "You're the only person that I would do this for. You think Valerie, how trapped are you going to feel with them? You wont even have Phil with you, you'll be completely alone!"

I sighed…

"You really want to run away?" I asked

"Yes."

"Are you coming?" I looked back at my brother.

"Hell yeah." Phil's smile was huge now.

"I don't know." I shook my head.

"I cant believe your not going to give me something I actually want on my birthday." Edward said, and I was surprised to see that there was no sarcasm in his voice.

He really wanted this.

"Let's do it." I smiled.

We were in for it, I could tell.


	3. Chapter 3

I hope you note the way Edward can almost read Valeries mind. Remember that in the genuine twilight novels by the great Stephanie Meyer that Bella's protection of others heightend when she became a vampire and she could sheild others in a supernatural way. Edward cant nessessarily read everyones mind in my fanfiction, only Val's mind. For now. But he finds peoples actions and thoughts predictable. I promise you guys that the R.E. part is coming up. Hang in there with me please. I hope your liking this. Remember, I take no credit for Twilight or Resident Evil characters. ENJOY!!

CHAPTER 3:

I was going crazy, that had to be the only explanation for it. There was no way that I would have even considered this before, much less come up with the idea. Running away and taking my closest friends with me? They would suffer as much as I would, if not more, if we were caught. I clenched my teeth and closed my eyes as long as I could while walking through the woods. Shit.

But there was no other way. I knew how Valerie's parents treated her, and exactly what she would go through if they took her away. Her father was the worst kind of man. Just thinking of the way that he looked at her drove me crazy. She knew that I could never be alone with him without committing a murder. What was worst was that her mother turned a blind eye and pretended that it never happened. I hated them both.

This had to be the only way. My mom and dad would understand, not that I planned to tell them. But when they found out everything, which I hoped they would piece the obvious together, they would understand and support us if they could. I had that faith in them.

"Edward, stop for a second." I felt Val's hand on my shoulder. "We have to think how we're going to do this."

"Easy, go in the house through the back and pack as much stuff as we can hold. But pack light okay? We don't have a vehicle for now." I explained, I really was making this up as we went along.

"Do you really think its best to do it on your birthday? Maybe we can wait?"

"No, the longer we wait the more you'll think. I know you, you'll try to talk me out of it for my sake."

She was silent the rest of the way home. When we got to my house we slipped through the back door and I let them lead the way to my room. My dad was in his office and didn't even look up as we passed. I figured my mom was in the kitchen fixing a huge dinner that we would never sit down and eat together. My throat became dry instantly.

When I closed the door behind us I turned and Valerie and Phil were just standing there waiting on instructions. I realized then that I was the ring leader of all this now, and I felt a panic rush through me like an electric shock. What if I led them into trouble or they were hurt? What if I led them wrong and we ended up just where Val said we would be? Behind the walls of a juvenile facility. I couldn't do this alone.

I looked at Val and she nodded, she knew what I was feeling.

"Okay, so I suppose you don't have anything feminine lying around here do you? We cant drop by my house its too risky." she said smiling slightly. I could see that despite her original worries she was excited. This was another adventure to her.

"I can try to get some of my mothers things."

"Nah, that's okay, I can just make due with what you have here. You know that I cant take from your mom."

I nodded and figured that was best, then started toward my closet for bags. I didn't know how long it would be until we had any type of shelter, so I told them to pack warm cloths of mine and took my two person tent out that I had never bothered to use before. My dad had said that it would be useful one day, and I silently thanked him. I was going to miss my parents both so much.

But the time was coming fast. Time to really grow up.

When we were finished an hour later we had a total of four bulky bags packed up and stacked by my bedroom door. I put a jacket on and went to my dresser drawers to take out my full savings from years and years. I wasn't sure how much money I had, but I figured that it would do us good for quite a while. At least we could get a start on it.

"Okay, are you guys ready to go?" I asked them, shoving to money into my pockets.

"Are you going to leave a note for your parents?" Phil asked, looking at me quizzically.

I probably looked so unsure to them. Were they really going to just stand there and keep their mouths shut and follow all of my directions? This had never occurred before, one or the other always had something to say. Especially Valerie.

I shook my head. "You told them that Val has to leave, they're exceptionally smart. They'll piece everything together."

"Are you sure about this Edward?" Valerie asked me, sitting on my bed and curling her legs underneath her. "Its such a big step, maybe there's another way-"

"You just told me earlier that there is no way around it."

"Yeah, I know."

"Don't make me second guess Val, this is the best I can come up with. You know why I'm doing this and I'll be damned if I'm letting them take you."

She slowly nodded and sighed. I scowled at her and then looked up at Phil.

"Are you fully on bored or do you have doubts too?"

Phil held both of his hands up. "Hey man, I told you I'm in. What do you want us to do?"

"Okay," I said, and started to pace. "We need to get all of this out of here without mom or dad seeing us. I need you guys to carry two bags each, just for now Val and then I'll take your two later. You have to go out where we came in, and don't stop. If mom or dad see you or say anything don't acknowledge them. But don't let them see you either. I think being as sneaky and quiet as possible is the best thing you could do. When you get outside go directly behind the shed and I'll meet you guys there."

They nodded at all of my instructions and Valerie stood up and braced herself like she was about to run a mile. Phil was already picking up the two heaviest bags. I straightened my jacket even though it was nearing perfection and took a few breaths, and then told them to go. When they left I counted to thirty and then followed them out of my room. I took one last look at it before I shut the door quietly behind me.

Out in the hall I waited to hear any sign of movement in the house. I didn't hear the back door open or shut so there was no way of telling if the other two had made it out. I sighed and then walked past my dads office without even pausing to look inside, I couldn't bring myself to do it. When he didn't call me back I proceeded down the stairs, pausing at the landing. As I had guessed, I heard mom in the kitchen banging pots and silverware around. Out of no where a lump built up in my throat and I had the insane urge to walk to her and give her a kiss and a hug before I left.

Instead I walked quietly to the living room and opened a drawer in one of the side tables. I found a paper and pin and despite of what I told Phil before I wrote four words down.

Goodbye, I love you.

I stowed it back in the drawer and then took my dads map out and put it in one of my more empty pockets. This would be yet another clue to the puzzle that they would sit down and discuss later tonight. I could see it as if it were happening now. Dad would sit in the recliner I was in and mom would be perched on the couch. They wouldn't cry, not even mom. They would just lose sleep staying up all night and wondering.

I stood and crept to the back door, opening it slowly and praying that my mom wouldn't call out to me. She didn't.

When I made it to the shed I heard that Phil and Valerie were arguing quietly and immediately stopped when I came into view.

"Okay, all done." I told them, nodding.

At the exact same moment all of us smiled widely. Now that the hard part seemed to be over I could feel the excitement building around us. This would be the biggest adventure that we ever had.

"So now what captain?" Val said, bouncing up and down with anticipation.

"I don't know. Let me think for a second. I got a map."

"Smart move." Phil clapped me on the back. "I can tell this is going to be fun."

"Lets just get out of the hot spot first before we start skipping." Val said, taking the map from me as soon as I presented it.

She turned around and led the way into the woods and we followed. We walked for what felt like an hour, but by my watch it was only twenty minutes. She found a bolder and spread out the map, smoothing out the edges and then turning to her brother.

"You're the best navigator I know so shoot." She told him, pulling a pencil out of her pocked and handing it to him.

Phil ditched the bags and leaned over the map, and Val threw hers next to his. She walked over to me and started circling my body. She always did this when she was excited and tried to get a reaction out of me. I smiled and put my arm out just as she turned from behind me.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked her.

"I don't know really, I'm nerves, but so excited." She grabbed my arm and started to twirl under it like we were dancing. "I have my doubts about the idea, but I don't doubt you… I cant help but agree with Phil, this is going to be fun."

"Are you glad that I came up with the idea?"

"Yeah, its neat… Risky but neat."

Only Valerie would put those words together.

We waited while Phil nodded and then shook his head, then erased and drew. The sun was starting to fall and I started to worry about light. Out of all the things that I thought to pack I forgot a flashlight. Damnit.

But Valerie was ahead of me. When it became increasingly dark, and we were in the same spot, she took out her cigarette lighter and gave it a flick, standing closer to her brother. This wasn't a bad idea at all, but what about when we had to move? We were only a twenty minute hike from my backyard, if someone wanted to find us they wouldn't have a problem.

Phil was thinking along the same lines.

"Okay, so obviously we forgot a flashlight. How are we going to get out of here?"

"You guys just follow me, I know this wood better then the back of my hand." Valerie said. "Just point in the direction we need to go Phil and I'll lead the way with my lighter."

"Okay, if we walk about five miles southwest we'll hit a clearing." He turned to me. "What do you think about setting up camp there? It's completely out of the way and we could wait until morning to start hiking."

"Wait." I told them, a thought just hit me. "I have to go back."

"What? Why?"

"I have to get our rifles, they're by the shed."

"What if someone see's you?" Phil shook his head. "It's too late to go back now."

"Give me ten minutes, I can run and make it back here in a little less then that time, but I have to be careful."

"You idiot, I already packed our rifles."

Phil and I turned to Valerie. She was at our bags and pulled the three guns out of the biggest one.

"I had to stuff them in here while my idiot brother went around the edge of your woods debating on bringing some watermelon with us."

I looked at Phil and he shrugged, then I turned to Valerie.

"Genius."

"I know."

"Is that what you guys were arguing about when I walked up?"

"Yes and no… He wanted to stop by his friends house and ask for a bag of food."

"Okay, Phil isn't aloud to think from now on unless he's navigating."

"Agreed."

We smiled at each other, and then I looked at Phil and shook my head. He was looking down at his feet and smiling sheepishly. I know it was good intentions, but it wasn't a good idea, and I'm sure he risked being seen sneaking around my backyard like an idiot.

"Right then. Valerie, you carry the rifles and me and Phil will handle the bags. Use the straps so you can bind them to you while you lead the way with the lighter."

Now that our minds were set on what we were doing in no time at all, during one of our breaks to look at the map and what little we could see of our surroundings, Phil announced that we were halfway there. Valerie and I were constantly sniggering as she led the way. I would be right on her heels and Phil was lagging further behind, so we didn't bother to tell him to watch out for roots and logs, hearing him fall was part of our entertainment. It was all good fun, we loved Phil very much, but we loved screwing with him more. By now Phil would just laugh along with us and curse us in long and loud sentences that he stretched out to make it funnier, using the most unlikely and outrageous words.

But nearing the end of our hike we were silent. Worn out from laughing and cutting up, and mostly jumping over an obstacle course of intertwined weeds, thorns, and roots. Phil told us that we should be hitting our camping spot soon, but after a while we were all getting anxious and had to stop.

When we looked at the map again Phil sighed and rolled his eyes. We watched as he turned and walked a little way back, and disappeared behind a brush of trees. Valerie and I looked at each other for a moment and then followed. When we were clear of the brush we looked around and he was already setting his bags down in the middle of what looked like a hollow. It was gorgeous, the moon was shining down and filling up every inch of it with light. Valerie jumped and skipped and twirled all the way to the center and took the rifles off of her, laying them beside the bags. I followed slowly, looking around. The clearing seemed to be perfectly circular, and there were even flower beddings scattered here and there. I lay my bags beside that others and stretched, yawning widely.

"This is pretty." Valerie sighed then turned to her brother. "Good job."

He shrugged, "It's what I do."

Phil and I unpacked the tent and while we were working to put it up it was hard not to be distracted by the grace of Valerie dancing around and laughing at nothing. I had only seen her this happy once, and it was two years ago at Christmas time when her dad was out of state and her mom gave her an entire painting kit. She set it up in my back yard and would be seen no where else but on her stool behind her canvas's for a month. After mom and Val had first put it together she had done the exact same thing that she was doing now. I never questioned her about her actions, but I figured that the reasoning behind it was something that I wanted her to keep to herself. It was her private little moment that I didn't even dare to intrude on, no matter how appealing it was to find out.

One day, I wanted to be that happy. Even if it was only for a moment.

"Okay, now that that's done, we need to get a fire going." Phil suggested, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"I agree. Val, come over here and bring me your lighter!" I watched as she skipped over to me with a smile that I returned warmly.

Seeing her this way was the best birthday present that I ever received.

We gathered wood and Val built a pit ten feet away from the tent. It took us all of ten minutes to have that completed, but a lot longer to get the fire going. When we accomplished that Phil disappeared into the woods and dragged back a log that we could all fit on comfortably and dropped it next to the fire. When we were all snug and waiting for the flames to get larger we started arguing about who would be able to sleep in the two man tent tonight. We would switch every night, and even though Valerie insisted that she would like to sleep under the stars we shut her down. Phil and I both had that manly pride that obviously annoyed her, and she shrugged and went to make up the bed not long afterward.

I wanted to let Phil have the first night in the tent, but he refused and reminded me that it was my birthday. So I passed him the stick I had been using to churn the fire and left him to get ready for bed as well. We had an early start tomorrow, I had set my watch for dawn. After I stripped down to my underwear I cleared my throat outside of the tents opening.

"Are you ready for me to come in Val?"

"Yeah."

I unzipped the part that she had failed to zip up and entered the mouth of the tent. Inside I could barely see where I was stepping so I crouched down and felt my way beside her and lay there for a second. She threw some covers over my head and shoved a pillow at my face.

"Lovely."

"Sorry, I cant see anything." She complained.

"Its okay." I situated myself and then stretched and yawned widely once more. "What are you thinking about?"

Valerie sighed. "Sleep."

"Are you comfortable?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"We're basically sleeping on the ground, I can feel a rock jabbing into my lower back."

"Touché."

"Why, what are you thinking about?"

"Tomorrow."

"What's the plan?"

"I don't know, I'm sort of making it up as we go remember?"

"Yeah, I feel so secure."

"Shut up."

We were silent for a little while, occasionally moving around to get comfortable. A couple of times she kicked my in the side on accident, so I started to kick her back on purpose. After a few rounds of over exaggerated kicks from the both of us we became bored with that and just lay there again.

"Why are you doing this?" Valerie asked me after five minutes of silence.

"You almost kicked me in the crotch."

"I'm not talking about that. Your giving up a lot to run away for me… It was so random."

"I don't know where it came from, but as soon as I thought of it I just had this feeling." I shrugged, and then realized that she couldn't see me. " Have you ever had the feeling that something so obvious couldn't possibly go wrong?"

"No." She giggled.

"It was what you were saying earlier about how there was no way around it, and I just knew that you were right. I knew that if there was you would have thought of it and told me. So when I thought about running away I knew that you never would have considered that because you wouldn't want to take me away from my parents and my life."

"Okay, so your saying when this conclusion came to you, you just had a feeling that it was the only way around it?"

"Yeah."

"Your insane." She laughed.

I kicked her again.

"That's the thanks I get for saving your life?"

"Sure mister melodramatic." She was silent for a beat. "I only did this because its your birthday."

"So tomorrow your just going to turn around and go back?"

"I'm thinking about it."

"If you did that I would never forgive you."

"Yes you would, in the future when you moved on without me and got married with a beautiful wife and kids."

"It wouldn't be the same without you… You know that your parents would have found any way possible to control you, and there was no other option right? Well I'm willing to risk my future and happiness to keep you free."

I turned my head and smiled in her direction, and I knew she could tell.

"Again, melodramatic."

I heard her sigh and turn over so I kept my comment to myself. I knew that she was grateful and didn't mean what she was saying, even though the tone of her voice was quite convincing. But at the end of the day she hadn't fought me when I told her to come with me. She hadn't hesitated to follow my improvised plans. So I knew that she was aware that this was the best thing that could possibly happen, and secretly she wanted that freedom.

I smiled again. I was giving her something that she had longed for all of her life.


	4. Chapter 4

I hope that my readers are liking it so far. I appreciate you guys for sticking with me. Please review!! I dont own any characters beside my own... blahblahblah... ENJOY!!

CHAPTER 4:

I didn't move until I heard Edward's rhythmic breathing after what seemed like hours, telling me that he was asleep. Then slowly I turned onto my back. I waited up all night anticipating tomorrow, and even if I hadn't thought about it I wouldn't have slept anyway. This was stupid, and I hated it. Hated it fully, but in a sick way I was happy. Edward had been right, there was no other way out.

I thought back to the night a week ago that my parents had called me from my room and broke the news. They told me that I had to tag along, to not even think about getting out of it. I still had a year until I was legally an adult and they still controlled me. They threatened me with everything they had. If I gave them trouble about this, or told 'that Edward boy' to help me try and get out of it then the law would know about everything we had done in the past.

The vandalism that had the police accusing someone else for, the underage transaction that I had with someone from school that had to do with cigarettes. The pot that they had found in my room, this one Edward didn't know about. Then they had my therapy records, which was enough proof that I was a troubled kid. Normally, I wouldn't be concerned when they threatened me to expose these records, because it was confidential. But when Dr. Brian had told me that he had been close friends with my dad since they were young I stopped going. My dad was the ultimate manipulator, and I was more then sure that my wonderful doctor had handed my thoughts over.

Especially when my dad quoted me, when I had only told Brian what he had said. I knew that I could bust Brian if I wanted to, it was against his profession to do that type of thing. But that would have been a domino effect of my own disaster, so I kept quiet.

Edward grunted and shifted his position next to me. The idiot, he really didn't know what he was getting himself into. My parents could make it look like kidnap if they wanted it to, and now that I thought of it, Edward was an adult, so he could go right to jail. No matter what his parents said to try and get him out this was fact, and with the evidence my parents had in the background we would all be screwed. I couldn't stop this from running through my head over and over again.

We would all be screwed. We would all be screwed. We would all be screwed.

I sighed and ran my hands through my hair, gripping the roots near my scalp in frustration. If I got up and left right now, without alerting the other two, they would have no idea how to find me. I could run myself, and they would be in no harm. I know it would break Edwards heart and worry Phil to death, but it was the best thing I could do. Because of our conversation before he fell asleep, Edward would think that I went back home and go to look there first. The parents would see the two and they wouldn't be able to leave again.

Life would go on.

I slowly sat up, getting ready to take action.

"Where are you going Valerie?"

I jumped and looked through the darkness of the tent toward Edwards voice. Then I felt his hand grip my right wrist. I tried to take it from him, but his grip tightened. I knew it would do no good but I struggled against him. What was I going to do now? Run if I got loose? He would wake Phil and bolt after me.

"I'm not going anywhere." I told myself more then I was telling him. How stupid of me? I knew him better then to think that he wouldn't be keeping an eye on me. Because he knew my thoughts before I did.

I felt him sit up too. His hands started feeling around me and I wondered what the hell he was doing. Then my lighter clicked and the tent was full of a dim light. I looked at him and he had an angry expression on his face. I hadn't expected this at all.

"What are you doing?" He asked me with a full out glare.

"Nothing."

"Okay, then lay back down."

"Why?"

"Because I know you were going to run, and then what Val? I was going to wake up tomorrow and you would be miles away right? Then all my effort would have been for nothing. Then I would have just went home and lived life, all bright and happy right? Stop assuming that you know what's better for me and your brother, and start thinking of yourself. For once in your life, be selfish and depend on me."

I just looked at him. That's all I felt like I could do. I felt my face match his anger, I felt myself starting to resist his grip again, I felt him get closer to me incase he had to pin me down. But a new feeling started to crop up. I had never felt this before so I became weak and gave up the fight, trying to embrace it.

In a flash I saw me tackling him with a hard kiss, climbing on to of him and refusing to get off. I saw him kissing me back, I saw that it was passionate.

And then I blinked and it was gone. I shook my head slowly.

What the hell?

"I don't want to run okay? I'll stay." I breathed.

"Your just going to try again another day Val."

"I wont."

He leaned forward, his nose an inch from mine, I could see anger burning in his eyes. "Promise me."

I froze for a second, and in another flash I saw him kissing me first. But we weren't in a tent. We were somewhere else, somewhere dark and enclosed. He picked me up embarrassing me roughly.

I blinked again.

"Edward," I was panting.

"What?" His face only relaxed slightly.

"I just… Saw something… Weird."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know."

I lay back down and he let go of my wrist. I had to catch my breath, the adrenaline rush that I just felt was so strong, like what I saw had actually happened. But I couldn't stop panting, and I felt hormones rushing through me. I closed my eyes so that there was no sight of Edward at all. I wanted him. I wanted him now, just like I had in my random thoughts. It was weird because I had never felt like this before. Sure he was the most attractive guy I knew, but since we had been friends from five years old I never felt an attraction toward him.

"Valerie what's wrong? What do you mean you saw something weird?"

I didn't answer him, I just shook my head. Then another jolt of hormones spread thorough me. His voice was so silky and full of beauty. Irresistible.

"I just thought I saw something outside of the tent, but its just a shadow." I managed to get out in one breath. In my overwhelming embarrassment I moaned after I said this.

"Are you okay?"

There was panic in his voice, and I couldn't blame him. I probably looked like I was breaking down. Which was the only explanation I could justify, I really had to be if I was feeling this way. It was consuming me because it happened so fast and out of no where. I bit my lower lip and moaned again.

"I'm fine. Just tired."

I felt him lay next to me and I jumped up again, he mirrored me. I looked at him and put my hands up, "I just have to go outside and get some air, will you come with me?"

"Yeah."

We left the tent, and I had to let Edward go first. Where had all this mistrust come from? It kind of hurt… But I got over it quickly and ducked out of the opening. I saw that Phil was on his stomach and heard him snoring. The fire had burnt down to cinders and the clearing was darker then before. I inhaled deeply and then looked back at Edward, hoping that my 'turn on' was off. He was looking at me with wide eyes.

"What?"

He shook his head and smiled. Then nodded at what I was wearing. I looked down and my heart jumped. I forgot that I was only wearing my underwear and one of his shirts. It wasn't that bad, we had saw each other naked after all, but I felt my face redden.

"Yeah, that's how I roll." I tried to sound casual.

"You look good in my cloths." He smiled. "This is new."

"Please don't." I said before I could stop myself, it was the wrong thing for him to say after what I just went through.

His expression changed. "You still haven't promised me."

"I promise." I told him, waving it aside. I was annoyed all of the sudden, and the only time I had felt this type of annoyance was when I had been denied what I really wanted.

What if I really would have made the move? Would he have denied me? Obviously so, there was no way he felt the way I had. Ever.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked.

"Don't you already know?" I rolled my eyes at him.

"Look who needs a cigarette." He narrowed his eyes at me. "No, I don't know all the time. Especially when your expression is like this."

"What is my expression like?"

"Troubled."

"Jeez, lets guess what could possibly be troubling Valerie."

"Tell me."

I shook my head and walked the opposite way. I heard his footsteps close behind me, and was tempted to stop short so he would bump into me, that always annoyed him. I was tempted to run away, and it was stronger then before. But I knew I wouldn't. There was this weird bind I felt like I had to him now that I had thought about what I had.

Time passed. I was still walking around and he was still following. We did this in silence for a long time. Then, I felt bad for keeping him up, he kept yawning and sighing. So I made my way back to the tent and lay back down. Edward didn't follow me for a little bit and then he entered too.

There was no way I would be able to sleep now. There was no way that I wanted to. I knew when Edward had fallen asleep again, but I also knew that he was sleeping lightly. Guilt made me toss and turn for the rest of the night. I was guilty that he wasn't sleeping well, I was guilty for making him angry. I probably had really hurt him, and I could tell that he felt betrayed that I would even think about leaving him. It was true, I could see why he would feel like that. He was giving up a lot after all and now that I thought about it I had been stupid. Even if they would have went back, I would have been missing, and then my parents would have jumped to the conclusion that they had something to do with my disappearance. Which was true, but they would stretch it out to something rediculas like murder.

I was lost in my thoughts for the remainder of our time here. Edwards watch went off, we woke up and I dressed in sweat pants and a tank top of his, they took down the tent, we packed. Phil suggested that we try and destroy our fire pit and put away the log so if people ran across this place while looking for us it wouldn't be too obvious that we were here. So we did that too. I had fun tearing apart the pit and throwing it around, for some reason that helped with a little bit of my frustration.

When Phil was done navigating and drawing on the map I picked up my rifle and led the way out. I realized that it wasn't long until I was very ahead of the boys and Edward was talking to Phil in a hushed voice. This made me more angry and I felt a lot more guilty now that my brother was probably getting filled in on my intentions last night. Whatever, if this is how it was going to be over one mistake then fine. I would deal, I would ignore them both, I would take a vow of silence until I was treated like Valerie again.

The same fantasy with Edward kept sweeping into my vision. In and out, in and out. My heart would race every time I was imagining it. When it was over I would sigh and become frustrated once more. I needed a cigarette.

"Val!"

I looked back when Edward called my name. He was holding his hand up signaling me to stop and wait. I had the urge to turn around and keep on walking, but didn't think it would be a good idea. They would probably think I was going to run. Stupid.

So I waited.

"Phil and I were talking about getting out of town and then stopping somewhere to get a bite to eat." Edward told me when he stepped by my side. "What do you think."

I shrugged. "Okay."

"We should order big and do this once a day." Phil said. "That way there will be less of a chance that people will recognize us or have anything to report to the police."

"What if the police aren't looking for us yet?"

"They are." Edward told me.

"How do you know that?"

"Because I still have my cell phone. My dad left a voicemail saying that they were called about an hour ago by your parents when you didn't come home in the morning."

"What time is it?"

"Eight."

"Oh joy."

I saw that Edward smiled at my sarcasm, but didn't return it. It wasn't that I was necessarily mad at him. I was ashamed, and worried. Worried that our relationship would change because he didn't seem to trust me. That it would change because now every move he made I wanted to take him down and strip him of his cloths. Where was this coming from and why did it hit last night?

Sure he was handsome and every girl that was beside him became completely dazzled and ignored every other person around them, even their boyfriends. But the was my Edward. The Edward that would make dirt apple pies with me and then dare me to eat them. The Edward that peed his pants on the playground on accident out of excitement when he was six.

My Edward.

"Val!"

I jumped and looked up at my brother. "What?"

"You were completely ignoring me."

"Sorry."

"Do you want to drop by a convenient store and get you some cigarettes too?"

I looked at him and rolled my eyes. "Oh yes, lets do that and have you or Edward give a clerk your I.D. so we can be tracked easier."

"What's up with you this morning?"

"I didn't get a good nights sleep." I glanced at Edward again and saw that he was narrowing his eyes at me. "What?"

"Nothing, taking in the new Valerie."

I glared at him but didn't say anything. That seemed to be enough, he shrugged and then took the lead. I let Phil go ahead of me so I could lag along behind them this time. I didn't need cigarettes, mind over matter.

We hiked until a little past noon. I felt a stitch in my side and couldn't completely pick my feet up off the ground so I just let them drag. I was glad that I chose to wear Edwards tank because the sun was blazing today. I wondered exactly where we were headed. There was a lot of wood around us, and I hadn't been listening to the boys during our last break.

Then yet another pang of guilt corrupted my chest. Edward hadn't talked to me in hours, he hadn't even spared me a passing glace. He never ignored me, even when I was in one of my bad moods. We're we fighting for the first time in twelve years of friendship? Was he truly mad at me or giving me space? Anxiety started to squeeze at my lungs and I stopped to catch my breath, leaning up against a tree nearby.

"What's wrong?"

I looked up and Edward was backtracking for me. He was so beautiful, so godly. For some reason I felt like I missed him. He was right in front of me and I missed him. I had expected to survive overseas without him?

"I'm so sorry Ed. I love you, and I'm sorry that I made you angry last night. I know your trying to do a good thing for me, and I know I haven't really thanked you yet. But your right. I couldn't have left you here, and I couldn't have been trapped with them. Because I miss you even though your right in front of me, and I cant stand the silence. This is the greatest thing you have ever given me and I was stupid to attempt to throw it away last night. I want you to trust me again, and I swear that I'll never leave you. I promise, okay?"

This all came out in two breaths. I closed my eyes and shook my head. When I looked at my best friend again he had a confused look in his features.

"What are you talking about, trust you again? I trust you." He assured me.

"I thought-"

"No… It wasn't that, I wasn't thinking that. I was thinking about if this is what you wanted and worrying about if this will really make you happy. It's going to be hard work for a while, and I wish I could have thought of a more solid way to do this."

"Okay then, I jumped to conclusions. I wont do that anymore. But what about that comment earlier?"

"Which one?"

"'The new Valerie'?"

Edward smiled, "Oh… That was nothing."

I decided to just pretend to buy that. I was too happy that we were straightening things out. Maybe there was never anything wrong in the first place. Maybe it was all these new feelings getting to me. The worry was probably a big one. We started to walk again and Edward put his left arm around my shoulders.

He was so warm.

I want him.

I want him.

I WANT him.

Visions were coming back, and I just let myself fall into them and trusted that Edward wouldn't let me stumble because of my lack of concentration. This time it was more in depth and lasted longer. It even got so far that he took off my shirt and I started unbuttoning his. Then something sexy yet weird happened. He started kissing my neck, and then bit it, drawing blood.

I gasped the same time that fantasy me gasped and felt the place where he bit me in real life tingle. Normally this would have disturbed me, but I wanted more. I wanted him to taste me…

"Okay, so we're here, and we need to be here. Only thirty minutes more of this and we can set up camp again and hike into town to get some food."

I looked up at my brother and nodded when he said this. He was showing Edward the map and Edward nodded as well, looking relieved.

When we finally got to our next stop it was two in the afternoon. This place was not a clearing at all. There was just enough room for the tent and the fire pit to be set about seven feet away. But this was good, at least we wouldn't have to move logs to make seats. My stomach was growling violently, but not as loudly as the boys were. I wanted to stay behind and just help build things. I didn't feel like going out in public looking like a gangster chick. But in the end I put the rifles with the bags and joined them on the hike to get food.

"Do you think that we should bring the rifles?" I asked after we had been walking for only two minutes.

"Were going into public Val." Edward told me.

"Exactly, say we're recognized, then what?"

"Were you going to shoot someone?"

"If I have to. I just have this feeling."

He half smiled half grimaced at me and I rolled my eyes. Okay, so he wasn't going to head my warnings. That was okay, but if something did go wrong I would give him the dirtiest look I could crop up. My heart kept dropping every step we took. I really did have a bad feeling about this.


	5. Chapter 5

Thanks for reading, please review... I hope you like this latest entry... ENJOY!!

CHAPTER 5:

I continuously pulled side glances toward Valerie. She was acting very different lately. The new Valerie meant, of course, that she was now being very serious. But there was something more that I noticed as well. She was absolutely gorgeous when she was this way. I supposed that it was new to me seeing her constantly stressed and worried. She never did this before because her biggest problem had been her parents back home, and she had long learned to not let it bother her. Every other problem that she ever had she shrugged off cause nothing would compare.

I hadn't wanted it to be this way. I wanted her to start dancing around like she did the first night. I wanted to hear her sing, and watch her skip across logs, and attempt to annoy me. But since last night, she had changed. I suppose I didn't consider that maybe this would cause anxiety. I thought that we would all be happy.

Apparently they thought that I would be the one to be more somber about things, but I was the one keeping it light. I hadn't thought about my parents at all, not until my dad left me that voicemail.

"The police are looking, they were called around seven. Your mom and I love you. When you get the chance give us a sign that everything's okay… I understand son."

That was all he had said. I was surprised that he sounded so mellow about the whole situation. I wouldn't call back of course, but I doubted that would stop them from continuously sending messages. This could cause a problem because of the phone records, and if the cops decided to go through them. But I knew mom and dad would delete any clue of them calling and leaving messages and if asked they would just say that they were trying to call and I wouldn't pick up.

Phil announced that we were getting very close, but I couldn't hear cars or any other normal noises that would come from a small town. It was completely silent. I glanced at Val again and she was watching her feet and shaking her head.

"What's wrong?" I asked her.

"I've never felt like this before. Something's wrong, I'm telling you. I don't know how I know but I do."

"Your just worried, it'll all be fine."

She looked back down at her feet and I couldn't see her face to guess what she was thinking. But what she said made a small pang of worry run through me as well, and my heart dropped a little. But I was right. I knew her, she was just freaking out for nothing.

Finally the trees thinned out and I could see an opening ten feet in front of Phil. As we made our way toward it all I saw was a very green lawn. Not even close to a town.

"Phil?"

"Yeah?"

"Where are we?"

"I took an alternate root and decided to ease our way into town off of someone's back yard. Thought it would be better then just coming out of nowhere and ending up on a road."

He was the first to break through the trees and I followed with Valerie hesitating behind me for only a moment. I looked around and felt my draw drop, Val gasped beside of me. There were crows roosting everywhere on the top of the trees. Hundreds of them just sitting there, unusually silent. Then, there was one single caw as we stood there. Then a the dominos fell and I slammed my hands against my ears. It was the worst noise that I had ever heard, and muffling it didn't help the slightest. They were all screaming now.

I looked in Phil's direction and his lips were moving, but I couldn't hear what he was saying, and it looked like he was yelling at the top of his lungs. I shook my head at him and looked around. Two hundred yards from where we were standing was a mansion, the most beautiful house I had ever seen. It looked empty from what I could tell. But I couldn't be sure. I caught Phil's attention and pointed to the house.

He looked at Valerie and I followed his gaze. She was nodding, her eyes were wide with fear. I never saw her this terrified before, and I instantly felt guilty.

We took off running toward the mansion. There was a good chance that someone would be there and ask a lot of questions. But I didn't care about that, the only thing I was worried about at the moment was getting Val inside. We got a twenty foot head start and then I heard the crows flap away from their branches, increasing the noise tenfold. I looked back.

My heart beat started racing, I had originally thought that this was because our sudden movement had scared them into flight. But was it possible that they were attacking? Crows?

My question was answered immediately there was a swarm of them diving closer to the ground, and then they were headed in our direction. I felt my throat dry. I yelled for the other two to go faster, but I doubted even if they could have heard me anything would have escaped my mouth. I grabbed Val's wrist and sped up, when we were about to pass Phil I pointed behind us, his eyes grew wide like his sisters and he bolted, keeping up with me only barely.

Never in my life before had I ran this fast. My feet were pounding at the ground, I couldn't breath because the wind was hitting my face so hard it stung as we flew by. I was practically dragging my best friend across the lawn, not slowing one step. I didn't want to look behind us again, I doubted that we would make it the whole two hundred yards. They would catch up to us and they would attack.

We were half way and they still hadn't caught us however. My hopes started heightening slightly but I didn't allow them to get too high. The noise was earsplitting and I was afraid if I looked back they would be inches away.

We ran.

We ran.

We ran.

We made it.

When we bounded up the stairs of the mansion we all slammed into the big double doors. From the corner of my eye I could see that they crows were now circling around the house. It was the oddest thing that I had ever seen. But I didn't dwell on it because Val gave up on the pounding and ripped open the door. We all filed in and she slammed it shut.

I put my hands on my knees and tried to catch my breath. "What… the… fuck!" I panted, forcing out each word.

Val laid on the floor in front of me on her back, she threw her arm over her eyes and panted in short breaths. She didn't say a word, just kept shaking her head slowly. Phil was in the same stance as me, except he was breathing through his nose slowly, his eyes were wide like before and he was staring at a single black tile on the floor. I stood straight up and looked around.

I was standing on a red carpet that led from the front door all the way up a flight of stairs in front of us. The tiles that the carpet were laying on looked like marble, they were black and white. The walls around us were white with wood trim at the bottom, and a few pictures were hung here and there. I could see an upper balcony and the rails there looked sturdy and was brown wood that was highly polished. Near the entrance of the staircase that led up stairs there was one very long candle sticks with lit candles at the top. Dim lights illuminated the room so I guessed that somewhere in this mansion there had to be someone that was here. I couldn't see upstairs at all, so I couldn't tell what was there. What I was saw now was pure beauty and very classy. This was only the front room, and that made me wonder what else led from the two doors on both the right and left of the room, they were double doors as well.

"I told you."

I looked down to the floor where Val still lay. She had taken her arm from her eyes and was scowling at me with the most hateful look ever. Then she sat up and turned to me and Phil slowly.

"I told you both that I had a bad feeling about this, but you didn't listen. If we would have just stayed…"

"Then we would have gone hungry." Phil finished sounding annoyed.

"Better to go hungry then chased into an unknown manor by a swarm of insane crows." Val told him through gritted teeth. "You're an idiot."

"I'm so sorry that I was trying to do my best for us, I didn't see you doing any good beside dragging your feet and being depressed that you have two people that care enough about you to do this."

"Even if I would have made any important suggestions, like the one I had earlier obviously, you both would have just told me that I was worrying for nothing-"

"Stop guys, there's no need to argue over what has already happened." I told them. "Sorry Val I should have listened to you when you told me you had a bad feeling, I was thinking along other lines. I'm sure Phil's sorry too." I shot him a look so he wouldn't comment. "Lets just wait here and see if anyone comes because I'm sure we've made more then enough noise."

"I don't think that's a good idea, they'll ask questions." Phil told us, he still sounded annoyed.

"Too bad your not allowed to think, and I'm certainly not following your stupid navigating anymore because your great idea landed us here." Valerie spat.

I took my hand and put it over her mouth. She was in one of those heated moods where she wouldn't let up on rude comments for a while. Her eyes darted toward me and she glared, the piercing green all fire. But I just held my hand there and gave Phil another warning look so he wouldn't start up again. He looked like he wanted to say something but held his tongue.

"We cant go back out there." I said after a few minutes silence and I dropped my hand from Val's mouth. "Those birds will just be waiting for us. What do you think made them act like that?"The other two shrugged and both stared off in wonder. I walked over to the nearest window near the door and pulled back the curtains an inch. The first thing I saw were the crows settled on the rails of the porch and the steps. There were many that were standing around on the ground too.

Then I noticed a movement in the woods, and very close to the same place that we came from a women busted free from the trees. She had a cap on over her short hair and a skin tight outfit on. Her face was full of panic and I could see that she had a gun in her hand. Then three other men followed her, matching her panic stricken face. One of them that stood out most was the one with the bleach blonde hair and sunglasses on, the others had short brown hair and one was slightly larger then the other and had facial hair.

They were running full out as we had and I soon saw the reason about two seconds after they had appeared. Three dogs were chasing them. But these dogs were unlike anything that I had ever seen. They were bare skinned, and looked like they had been mauled. Parts of their skin were torn and some chunks were missing. I gasped.

"What's going on?" Phil came over and nudged me to the side looking out of the window. "Oh shit!"

Valerie appeared beside of me too, and we all watched as the four people raced toward the mansion with their eyes set on the front door. "What do we do? They have guns.""I don't know." I told her.

They were pounding up the stairs before we could make a decision, and the crows that had been sitting around erupted and took flight again. The door slammed open without any hesitation and I let the curtain drop. The man with the brown hair bounded in first and as soon as everyone was in he slammed the door shut, barely closing it before the dogs attempted to push their way in. They all stopped and panted like we had before, but it didn't last two seconds before they spotted us and all aimed their guns.

"NO!"

They paused when Valerie yelled. Close up I could tell that they were older then us, and the men were even taller. The women was my height. The man with the facial hair looked like he could be the oldest. I could tell that they had an air of authority about all of them.

"Who are you?" The blonde man with the glasses asked in a harsh tone.

"Who are you?" Phil demanded, I noticed he put on his business voice. He usually did this when he was talking to someone over the phone about a job.

"We're asking the questions here kid!"

Valerie and I exchanged looks. This wasn't good.

"My name is Grant, this is Mandy and Cameron." I told them. The other two looked at me with admiration for thinking quickly.

"Do you live here?" The women asked looking at each of us in turn.

"No, we just got here actually, the crows sort of chased us down."

"The crows?"

"Yeah," I crossed to the window again and opened up the curtain wide. The crows were circling like they had before. I looked back at the others and the women exchanged looks with the brown haired guy.

There was a slam against the window and I jumped back, a dog was scratching at it and I got a closer look then before. It's skin was raw red and the wounds looked horrifying. I dropped the curtain and backed away. Valerie grabbed my shoulder and squeezed it hard, not letting go.

"Alright," The women said nodding. "My name is Jill Valentine and I work for the Raccoon City PD." She pointed to the man with short brown hair, "This is Chris Redfield," She pointed to the bleach blonde, "Albert Wesker," She pointed to the guy with facial hair, " and Barry Burton. Where do you come from and why are you here?"

"We were camping out in the woods for vacation." I lied. "We come from California, so we don't really come across a lot of wood there. We just got here yesterday and moved camp to a place that we thought would be good for nature pictures, but left our stuff and were trying to get into town so we could grab a bite to eat.""What part of the wood did you come from?"

"Raccoon Forest." Phil answered. "That's what it said on the map.

Jill and Chris exchanged looks again. Albert's brows furrowed.

"Did you see any activity that was abnormal at all in the forest?" He asked, sounding suspicious.

"No-" I began, but Val cut me off.

"We didn't see anything until we arrived on the lawn, that's when we saw the crows. But the whole time we were hiking, I had this feeling that I was being watched." She explained. "Not the normal feeling though, it felt eerie."

Albert nodded. "Well, considering why we're here, it was normal to feel that way."

"We're here on a mission, something happened out there. People were slaughtered and we're looking for the culprit. Did you know that?" Jill asked.

It was our turn to exchange looks. I looked at Valerie and Phil and they both had looks of terror on their faces. My heart dropped further then it had all day. A killer? A killer was out on the loose… But wait-

"The dogs." I said quietly.

"It may have been the dogs… We don't know what it was. Or who." Jill told us. "There's weird things going on here and that's what were here to find out. But as far as I'm concerned none of us are leaving this place until its safe to do so."

She looked at the others quizzically and they all nodded in agreement. I looked at my party and they were nodding slowly too with the same identical look of shock on their faces.

"So what are we going to do?" I asked.

"This is a big place." Barry spoke up, his voice was deep but friendly. "I think that our team should split up and search it. We could find answers."

"What about us?"

"You'll have to stay here."

"I don't think that's such a good idea Barry." Albert told him. "If there is in fact a killer, then they would be easy targets.""What do you suggest they do Wesker?" Chris questioned him.

"We didn't come here to be responsible for a bunch of teenagers."

"But leaving them behind would be abandonment." Jill said.

"They'll get in the way."

"They could die."

Chris held up his hand and they fell silent. I looked at Valerie again and her expression reminded me of a little child that was in trouble and was watching her parents argue about what would be best… Not that her parents had ever done that. I looked back at the others and could see the impatience on Chris's face.

"We could give them a job." He said, pulling out an extra gun of his and looking at each of our faces. "Do any of you know how to shoot a gun?"

"We all do." Phil told him.

"Alright, which of you can do it best?"

Phil and I glanced at Valerie and Chris got the message. He took three long strides over and handed her the gun. Val took it and nodded her head, examining the gun quickly. When I looked back at the group I noticed that Jill was smiling slightly.

"What type of gun is Mandy?" Wesker asked, sounding agitated.

"It's a handgun." Val said, looking at him offended. "As a matter of fact, it's a Kimber 1911 Pistol .45 Caliber Warrior."

Jill nodded and beamed, highly impressed. Chris followed suit and Barry even gave her a wink. Wesker narrowed his eyes and then shook his head, but the corners of his mouth twitched slightly. I looked at Val with complete admiration, I would have never known that. But I knew that she was amazing with guns, and for a long time they had become her obsession, so it was no surprise that she knew this.

"Okay, I need you three to check downstairs." Chris told us. "Do you see those entrances?"

I watched him point to the two openings that I had failed to notice at first. On either side of the staircase there was an arch that had stairs leading down. The walls were silver.

We nodded.

"Go down and don't split up, look for any clues or information. Anything you see on paper bring back here. Observe everything because I want the full report when you come back. Any weird activity at all we need to know about. I need a photographic memory of the whole nine yards. If your threatened at all don't be afraid to use that gun Mandy, I'm sure you know that the fastest way to kill someone is a straight shot to the head. Meet us back here when your done, if no ones here then wait… Got that?"

I looked at the two and they nodded, looking only slightly nerves. I did the same. Chris turned to Jill. "I need you to search that way." He pointed to the double doors to the left of the hall. "You know what to do."

Jill nodded, and then disappeared through the double doors, leaving them to shut with a long and whining creek.

"What about up top? Barry… Wesker? I'm going to search this." He pointed to the double doors on the right.

They both nodded and then headed up stairs. With a last nod to us Chris Redfield went through his doors.

"No. Fucking. Way." Phil smiled at us.

"What?" Valerie asked him.

"We're officially working for the police. Never thought I would see the day."

"Something's up with that Wesker guy, he's a real asshole." Valerie said randomly, she was scowling at the stairs.

"I think I might take your word on that." I told her, smiling. She rolled her eyes.

"That's new."

Valerie turned and led the way to the entrance that Chris had pointed out, and didn't hesitate to start down the stairs. I followed behind her and Phil came in last. I was surprised when I saw that it wasn't darker down here. The lights were just as they had been upstairs, and it was as gorgeous as upstairs had been as well. At the bottom Val paused and I almost knocked into her.

"Okay, so where do you guys want to search first?" She asked in a hushed voice, looking around and holding her gun up incase she had a reason to shoot.

"I think that we should split up and just go through rooms and we'll be out of here faster." Phil suggested.

"We cant split up, what if something happens to one of you? I'm the one with the gun."

"We can just use whatever we find, and that will be enough. You need the gun Val, you couldn't take someone down on your own because you're so tiny."

I smiled at what Phil had said and looked down at Valerie, she was scowling at her brother. Then I saw her really for the first time today…

She was adorable, my tank fit her almost perfectly. It was a little baggy, but her breasts filled it out nicely, and my sweatpants were baggy as well, hanging low off her hips except for the swell of her butt. I laughed and they both looked at me.

"You look cute in my close." I told her again.

"Ugh," Phil said, shaking his head at me. "Come on. You guys pulled through twelve years and now you decide to get all hormonal."

"I'm not getting hormonal, I honestly think that she looks adorable. Which brings us back to the reason its good that she has the gun. No one would take her seriously."


	6. Chapter 6

It is getting more intense and will only get better... Please review. ENJOY!!

CHAPTER 6:

"I do think it would be best if we split up." I told them. I held the handgun up and walked forward a few steps, turning around when my face was calm again.

He kept commenting on how good I looked in his cloths… If we were together any longer I could tell that I would either suffocate, or do some shameful things that he might reject and my brother might not be so proud of. I couldn't understand this sort of passion I was feeling for him lately. Was it ever just going to be normal again? Or was I falling…

No.

"When we find three rooms to search we'll split and try to search one each. Afterwards do you guys want to just meet in the hall and we'll share what we found?" I asked."Yeah, we'll do that." Phil nodded. "If there is any trouble yell okay?"

Edward and I nodded. We started down the long hall that had walls of highly polished wood. I was still in the lead because I had a gun, but I could feel Phil's hand resting on my shoulder and Edwards on the small of my back. I knew regardless of the fact that it was up to me to be the protector, they would shove me behind them if anything happened. It was comforting, but my latest mood swings sent a jolt of annoyance through me.

We finally reached an intersection, and I was surprised at what I was seeing. To our right, there was a hallway exactly like the one to the left, except it had jail cell bars over the entrance, and further down this hall I could tell that there was another staircase that descended to a lower level. I walked closer to it to see if it was locked and it was.

Then I heard a low and eerie moan from behind the bars and down that staircase that made goose bumps rise on my arms. I backed away, tightening my grip on the gun. The boys caught me by placing there hands back where they had been. I looked at them in turn and could tell that they were just as shaken as I was.

"What was that?" Phil whispered. "Is it locked?""Yeah." I nodded.

"What if someones down there and they need help?"

"I don't know about that Phil."

"Can we be sure though?""The best thing we can do is tell the others when we get back upstairs." Edward said.

We agreed on that and then decided to take the corridor to the left. Most of the doors that we ran across were locked. We kept checking each of them, making sure there was no way in without success. We would continue with the other doors.

Locked.

Locked.

Locked.

Click… I looked at Edward when he managed to find the first door that wasn't bolted shut. I felt my eyes widen and hurried forward from the door I had been checking. My emotions mixed from excitement to fear and would pulse back and forth. This was it. I aimed my gun as I entered first.

I looked around. This looked like an apartment. A small hall led to a very small office combined with a bedroom. As we made our way in slowly, I felt the boys behind me again, Edward taking Phil's place by gripping my shoulder now. We made it all the way to the end of the room and looked around. It was completely trashed, all of it. Files and papers were scattered everywhere, books were thrown off the shelves. But something else caught my eye.

The wardrobe. "Is that… Blood?" I managed to force out. I took a few steps closer, then Phil stopped me.

"Don't go near it." He said, leaning in closer himself. "It looks like its seeping out of the bottom. Do you see the smudges on the handle too?"

"Give me the gun Val." Edward told me, holding out his hand.

"No way," I shook my head. "My job."

He shrugged and then stepped forward towards the wardrobe and I held my breath, and took aim. When he got there he took a piece of torn rag from the floor and griped the nob with it. Glancing back at us one more time he smiled. I rolled my eyes, as if this was a time to be humorous?

Then he swung it open. We all jumped back as a body fell out and my throat tightened up so quickly that I forgot how to scream. Edward backed away so violently that he nearly ran Phil over, his face had a look of horror that I had never seen on it before. I pointed my gun at the body, this thing had to be dead. Its skin was rotting away.

We were all panting again like we had been when we first got in the mansion, and I didn't let go of my hold on the gun until Phil turned to me and lowered my arms with his own hands.

"It's dead." He told me, cooing like I was five. "It's okay Val. He-"

There was a low moan like there had been before in the corridor at the intersection. I jumped at the sound and looked around madly. But then something happened that made my eyes widen so much that I felt like they were going to fall out of their sockets. The dead man that fell out of the closet was moving. He was pulling himself up off the ground. He wasn't dead at all.

"Sir." Edward said, backing up a little more. "Sir, do you need help?"

Another low moan came from the guy and I felt horrible, he must have been in the worst shape of his life. Even if he was living now, it wouldn't be for long. I had never seen this before, it was like a disease that was exposed on his skin. Rotting flesh.

Then he began to stumble toward us, grabbing Phil who was nearest to him. Phil put his hands on the guys shoulder and opened his mouth to speak but didn't have time to get any words out. This guy was attacking my brother. He was forcing himself on him and had his mouth open kneeling towards Phil's neck. My brother.

A split second later I raised the gun, aimed, and fired. There was a deafening crack, and then the strangers body dropped to the floor. Pieces of his head had splashed against the wall, staining the white wallpaper even more. I turned to Phil, who had fallen back from the force of the sudden release. Edward was jerking him up to his feet and it seemed like he wanted to stay seated for a while.

"Phil, did he hurt you?" He asked, repeating it until light flickered back in my brothers eyes and he answered.

"N-no, but that mother fucker attacked me…" Phil's eyes were bugging. "He was fucking trying to bite me. He was trying to b-bite my neck."

"Your okay." Edward assured him. "Your sister saved your life."

They both looked at me with brand new faces. Edward was beaming with pride that was stronger then ever before and it took a while but Phil followed suit when he realized what I had did. I just stood there, too shocked to comfort anyone or say anything. I looked down at the corpse with only half of a head now. That couldn't have been what I thought it was. That only happened in movies.

We waited for Phil to recover and then Edward stood him up and suggested that we started looking around for stuff to take back to the entrance hall upstairs. I started to shuffle through papers, barely paying attention to what I was seeing. I could tell that across the room Phil was doing the same. Then Edward went to the hall and called back to us that there was a bathroom. I paused and waited to hear some kind of movement or alarm.

It sounded like Edward was draining the tub…

"Shit!"

I ran forward when he shouted, jumping over the dead body, shoving past Phil, and bolting down the hall. When I got to the bathroom that was to the right of the exit, I saw a girl very similar to the man in the bedroom, but she was soaked. She was grabbing at Edwards neck and pulling him down so she could bite him. I aimed my gun without a second of hesitation this time and shot.

The girl fell, and Edward plopped back on the toilet. "What the hell is going on here?" He breathed.

I felt someone behind me and I jerked my body around, raising my gun. But it was only Phil. "Sorry."

"It's okay, we're all freaked out here." Phil put his hand on my shoulder. "I found something though, so this isn't all for nothing."

"What is it?" Edward and I asked at the same time.

"It's a diary."

I watched as Edward came out of the bathroom slowly so he wouldn't slip on the water flooding the floor, and he kicked the girl on the way out. When he shut the door the three of us put our heads together and read. It was sporadic entry's, some of them having to do nothing with the others. It sounded like that the two we just found were a couple. They had been placed here so they could work for some company named Umbrella. Things got out of control.

A virus broke out.

I looked at the other two when they were done feeling absolutely terrified. "There's a virus. A virus broke out. A virus…" I kept saying it. Oh no.

"Do you think that's what got to them?" Phil asked us.

"Obviously," I told him. "A virus."

"What are you thinking about?" Edward asked me as usual.

I glanced up at him and sighed. "You guys might think that I'm insane.""We're all insane." He reminded me.

"I think that it not only got to them, but to those dogs and crows outside. I think that since they were all trying to attack us, then… then they might be… zombie's."

I braced myself, and sure enough. "Zombie dogs and crows Val?"

"Yes Phil… It doesn't necessarily have to be only humans."

"How do you know that's what they are?"

"I don't," I shrugged. "It's just a theory. But the moaning, and the slow walk, and the way that they both went for your throats. I'd say I'm pretty close."

"We have to get out of this place." Edward said. "This is only one room of a gigantic mansion that could be full of these. We cant stick around, because what happens when four, or more, attack at once? We all need to be equipped with guns."

"So lets find some. I'm sure that there has to be at least one in here, and then we can find another somewhere else. Hopefully more doors are unlocked." I said.

They nodded.

"Then we leave?" Phil asked, looking hopeful.

"If we can find a safe way out, then we leave." I nodded.

We continued our search, forgetting the original reason that we were down here and just looking for weapons. Phil found a knife two doors down and pocketed it. But other then that there was only one room left that wasn't locked and absolutely nothing was there except for files scattered around. At the end of the corridor opposite from the exit upstairs there was a door at the end that led outside. We debated on trying it out but none of us were brave enough to open the door. In the end we decided to leave the basement and go back upstairs.

"We'll just have to tell them about the attack and that we want more guns or we're just not going to do this." Edward was saying on our way back. "It's too dangerous for all of us, what if one of them attacked Valerie from behind? Then there goes our only shooter."

"They work for the police department, do you really think they'll care if we work for them either way? That Wesker guy would probably lock us in a room if we said that we weren't going to help out." I told him.

"But I'm willing to bet that the others would be up for it. Those three look nice enough."

"Yeah, enough… But with just one encounter with them we couldn't be sure."

"Look its great that your on the defense but we have to work with at least some of them if we're going to make it out of here alive. They're from here and they know the way around, and we don't… We'll not without stopping and navigating for a while."

"I agree, but we also have to keep our eyes open when it comes to them. They don't trust us either."

We went back and forth all the way up the staircase and fell silent when we were near the top. When we reentered the main hall Chris came out of the double doors that he said he would search. He looked at us and the tension in his shoulders relaxed.

"Was there anything down there? Anything weird?" He asked.

"Yeah, we were attacked. But I got them." I said before the other two could speak. "Do you know what's going on here?""Not the whole story, but that's what we're searching for." Chris looked at me and then to the boys. "Was anyone bitten or anything?""No." Edward said. "Bitten?"

"Yeah… I think-"

The other double doors across the hall busted open and Jill came out of them, looking horrified.

"Zombies." She said the single word that justified my theories. Her eyes were wide and confused, but her posture was strong as she walked forward.

"I was just about to say that myself." Chris told her. "Are you okay?"

She nodded. "I saw…"

"I know, us too." I told her. I couldn't place the reason, but I felt fond of Jill. Maybe it was respect, her being the only women among men. I felt a connection with her.

"What do you think it could be?" Chris asked her. "Do you think they're related to the madness of the dogs… The birds?"

"It has to be." Jill nodded slowly, her eyes were fixed on a single white tile on the floor.

"What do we do?" Phil asked them.

"Did you check all of downstairs? What was down there?"

We explained everything we saw in turn, handing over little of what we brought up. They hung on to every word of it like it was the most important subject that they would ever hear. When Edward was telling them about the corridor that was blocked by bars they were very interested, and asked him to describe every inch of detail to them. Chris and Jill conversed over who would go take a second look, but I could tell that Edward had another topic on his mind.

"Do you think that we could get more weapons here? I don't think one shooter is enough." He said when they had fell silent at last.

Chris looked slightly agitated and Jill looked ashamed.

"Here," She said. "take my shotgun, I suppose since you're the one asking you can handle it?"

Edward nodded and then took it when she held it out. I watched him inspect it for a second and then nod and look back at them. "Thanks."

"No problem." Jill told him. "I'm more then sure that there is a room that you will find more shells or bullets in. Maybe even a third gun. You'll have to look around."

I turned to glance at the other two. This wasn't a good idea, I wanted to get out of here. I didn't want to wonder around a house that we could easily get lost in crawling with the undead… whatever.

"Look." I said, before we could all go our separate ways again. "I'm sure you know what I mean when I say that I don't have a good feeling about this place. We're just visitors here and we didn't exactly plan to get involved with all of this."

"If you want to leave then be my guest sweetie." Chris pointed to the door. "I say your best bet is to stick with us though, if anyone can get you out of this place its us."

"Well this place is huge. The bigger it is the easier it'll be to get lost."

"That's why we have maps." Jill told us. "I looked at most of this and I have it memorized by now, I think I can make my way around here without it."

She took a piece of folded paper and held it out to us. Phil was the one to step forward and take it. I watched him look over the map and flip to different pages. This place had to be huge.

"We're going to continue our search. Remember if you find anything you bring it back here. I would search all that you can, don't go outside. When you get back here just wait and one of us will come back for you. Got it?" Jill told us.

"When do you suppose we'll be done with all of this?" Phil asked.

"Who knows, it could take hours." Chris said, shrugging. "Just stay alive… That's all you need to worry about."

We watched them disappear again, they both went down where we just came from. For some reason a fit of hysterics came over me and I started to giggle. I saw that the other two looked at me like I was insane, but I couldn't stop. A flash of all hysterical memories just decided to come at me. I shook my head at them, looked at Edward dead in the face and busted out with laughter.

"What?" Edward asked, his eyes narrowing.

"I don't know." I told him honestly. "Remember the time when we were really into super hero's and you told me that superman was so fast that he could run around the world and punch himself in the back?"

He nodded, one corner of his mouth coming up in a small smile.

"I just thought of that randomly." I told him. "That was hilarious."

Edward chuckled, but then looked at me after a few seconds with a serious face. "Do you guys smell something?"

I giggled harder. This was hilarious really, this whole situation. I looked at my brother and he suddenly started laughing the same as I had. It took Edward a minute but then he was laughing along with us. I couldn't breath. I walked forward and grabbed him, bracing myself with his shoulders. I felt nothing but complete bliss, all the worry and agitation that I had before had vanished.

Then we were all sinking slowly to the ground. It felt like forever before we were laying down, like it had taken an entire day to get there. I curled close to Edward as we lay there and I grabbed for my brother across his chest. I was wheezing by now, not able to muster up anything else. What was so funny?

Nothing.

Absolutely nothing could have been this funny…

Something was-


	7. Chapter 7

So the plot thickens. I am taking you on a compleatly different journey through the resident evil point of view. If you are a fan of the game rather then the movie I hope you appreciate the detail I put into this, I did my research. It will all tie in together. If you are a bigger fan of the movies then it will work out as well. Remember that i dont own characters from twilight sega or resident evil. I hope you guys review, but most importantly i hope that you ENJOY!!

CHAPTER 7:

Wrong… Something was definitely wrong.

I couldn't hear anything but what sounded like an air vent somewhere close. The last thing I could remember was laughing for no reason with Valerie and Phil. Lying on the floor, closing my eyes.

My head was pounding, but my heart was pounding faster. I tried to put words together, to shout out to the other two, but I couldn't move my lips. I heard myself grunt. Would they grunt back? What was going on?

It seemed like a while before I could open my eyes. When I finally managed two small slits I was looking up at a ceiling with florescent lights. It looked like I was in a warehouse. I could see the edges of the walls and they were a metallic silver. It felt like I was lying on the floor, but for some reason my instinct told me not to roll over. Could I sit up?

I tried that. Twice. The third time it felt like I was working every muscle in my body after running for miles and lifting a heavy weight. I screwed up my face in effort, then finally I was up. I opened my eyes a little more and I was faced with my reflection.

Why was I naked? Why was roughly thirty wires leading from my body to two machines? Without a moments hesitation I began ripping them out. Four at a time. From my temples, from my arms, chest, legs, back… They were everywhere. Afterwards I could feel warm trickles of blood sliding down my skin. I didn't bother to look at my reflection again.

I looked around the room instead. No Valerie or Phil. Nothing but me, the gurney I was on, and the machines. The door was to the right of me at the upper corner of the room, a doctors jacket hung beside of it. I was in a hospital. Okay, that I could handle.

Maybe my parents had been called and we were all found. But what had happened to the people in the mansion? Were they here too? Where were Valerie and her brother? Had they already been taken home? What if her parents had decided to take her away early? How long had I been here? Shit.

These thoughts were enough to put me into action. I nearly jumped off the gurney, and

then when my legs hit the floor they gave way. I fell to the cold tiles underneath me, resting my face against them. I felt heated, like I had a fever. After I took a few breaths I tried again, this time with success though I wasn't completely steady. I wobbled to the door and took the jacket, wrapping it around me slowly.

But the door was locked. It had a security pad on it. Shit. Shit. Shit… What the hell do I do? I looked over at the mirror and edged my way to it. I put my face as close as possible and cupped my hands over my eyes so I could peer in. Obviously it was a two way. I saw computers and paper scattered here and there. But I didn't see any doctors, or even my parents. I banged on the window a few times trying to get someone's attention, but no one came.

They didn't want to let me out, so I would have to get out myself. I looked back at the gurney and saw all the needles that had been inside me. I broke one off and then silently thanked dad for getting me into cub scouts where I had learned to pick locks when I was six. I went to the door and jammed the needle in the card slot and went to work. It took thirty seconds and then the light clicked from red to green and my door beeped open. I threw the needle behind me and opened the door a crack, peeking out.

The halls were trashed, there was blood smeared on the wall, files among files of paper and patient records were scattered everywhere. The lights were blown out and only a few remained, patches of distant light here and there further down the halls only illuminated ten feet in length. It reminded me of the few rooms we had seen in that mansion. I had to be dreaming. This was an absolute nightmare. No way this was happening. I was still on that mansion floor with the other two, maybe we were asleep and we were due to wake up at any second. Not here. It wasn't here now was it? Where ever here was. I had never been in this hospital before.

I stepped out of my room after a few minutes of taking this scene in. There was a nurse desk about twenty feet to my right, but no nurse. A trail of blood was smeared over the counter as if someone was dragged across it. I stopped breathing for a second. I had to find the other two, and we had to get out of here. Now.

If they were here.

Thinking fast I made my way to the computer behind the nurse's desk. It was almost impossible to walk here because the filing cabinets were blocking a clear path, but I managed. When I was at the computer I moved the mouse to turn it on, when it was on a password was needed. I cursed under my breath. Well, this would have been useful if I knew the password. That way I could find what room the others were in. I looked around to see which hospital this was. Raccoon Hospital was printed on one of the papers nearby that had an email on it.

_Raccoon City Hospital will not be able to book anymore patients beginning September 24__th__. Phone lines will be down soon afterward. If there is trouble please contact the PD. On the 25__th__ there will be an evacuation plan for all citizens. We are sorry for your inconvenience, but there is nothing more the staff here can do. It is beyond our power to cause miracles to this extent…_

What day was it? I looked at the computer again and drug the mouse to the information bar. It was six in the evening, and the date was September 30th. That meant that I was off by five days. Five days after the evacuation. I was stuck here in the city. Had the others evacuated? I knew that if it was in their power then they would have made sure I would have made it out. That was if they were out themselves. I turned back to the computer and took my chances. I typed in last and first names of the ones I found around the desk, the name of the city, the name of the hospital… Then I put in the initials of the hospital.

"WELCOME!" A computerized lady voice said. But it was like she had shouted through the silent halls. The glow was more intense then before. This had to be the absolute worst way to be secretive. If someone was looking for me then it would have been obvious where they would find me. Just follow that annoying computer voice and then when you see the glow proceed until you see a guy behind the desk. Shit.

I waited a few beats and listened for anyone or anything walking toward me. But the silence continued, so I drug the mouse to the patient files. There were hundreds of names here. A few of them caught my eye if they started with a V or P, but none of them were what I was looking for. I found my own file and went to open it, but it needed yet another password to open. I didn't bother, and just read the basics. Normally I would have wanted to know, but it wasn't me that I opened this computer for. It told the room I was in and how long I had been here. Ten days. I had been brought here on the 20th by…

Albert Wesker? He had been in the mansion with us at the time? Had he been the only one who had gotten out fine? I started to look for the others who had been there as well. Nothing on them either. My heart dropped. It didn't make any since that I had been the only one brought here. Didn't Val and Phil go thorough the same thing or had I been the only one to pass out? I knew I had smelled something before that had happened. It had to be some kind of gas.

I looked at my name on the computer again. Edward Anthony Mason. They would have called my mom and dad, and my parents would have evacuated with everyone else five days later. But would they have? Like Val and Phil I was sure that they would have done everything in their power to get my out too. If they had even been here.

Something told me that they hadn't. There was no way they would have just left me if my heart was still beating. Even then they would have pried my mothers fingers from my dead body, but that wasn't the case. So they didn't even know.

My cloths were gone so went my cell phone too. I wouldn't have been able to contact them or even check the messages my father would have sent me. The messages that he would keep sending, not knowing that I was never going to get them. They thought that we were still on the road to wherever, trying to save Val from her parents binds. They had no idea what had happened in the last eleven or twelve days that we had been gone.

I also had a feeling that Valerie and Phil had to have been brought here. I looked back at my file and saw that Albert Wesker's name was highlighted in blue. I clicked on it and another file opened.

_On September 20__th__ Albert Wesker of the Raccoon PD dropped off three patients. Edward Mason, Valerie Pagan, and Phillip Pagan. Wesker reported that he had saved them from the Raccoon forest. Tourists that "were in the wrong place at the wrong time." Their were no other survivors that managed to escape from the mansion mission that he had been apart of. Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine, and Barry Benson have fallen. He reports there was a viral outbreak there and the urgency to contain it is high…_

My heart rose again at the sight of the Pagan's names. They were highlighted in blue as well. I clicked on Valerie's name before I could finish the rest of the first file.

_Valerie Pagan is unknown. There is no record of her belonging in the city, as well as none belonging anywhere else. She was brought in with her brother Phillip Pagan and Edward Manson on September 20__th__ by Albert Wesker. Seizures and panic attacks are common symptoms with Ms. Pagan. She spent most of her time in the ER an then was moved to room 305 on the second floor. Put under the care of…_

My heart jumped. Room 305 on the second floor. I took a pen from the desk nearby and wrote it on the back of my hand, and then clicked on Phil's name.

_Phillip Pagan was brought in with his sister Valerie Pagan and friend Edward Mason on September 20__th__ by Albert Wesker. Like his sister he is an unknown. Symptoms are severe headache's and waves of nausea. Due to the overbooking of the hospital he was put in room B14, in the basement…_

I wrote this down on my hand under Valerie's room, and then scrolled back until I was at my file again. Why didn't the other two show in the main patient files, and why was my file the only one that required a password? I had to find them, if they were still here maybe they were locked in like I had been . Maybe they hadn't even come to. I turned off the computer monitor only, incase I needed to come back to it later. It was darker without the screen on, and it took a while for my eyes to adjust properly.

When I could see again I began to look in the drawers for a gun, or any kind of weapon at all. I looked through everything and didn't find a gun, but I found a long pocket knife on the floor underneath one of the chairs. I flipped it open and could see that it had been used before, dry blood was smeared across the blade. I closed it and put it in the right hand pocket of the doctors coat I had on. I looked around for alternate cloths and found five sets of scrubs lying on the floor out in the hall.

After changing into one of the scrubs and putting the jacket back on I made my way to the second floor. At the stairs I saw that I was on the third, so I slowly opened the door and closed it quietly behind me. I turned and started down a floor, but paused when I heard movements above me. It sounded like someone's feet were dragging the landing on fourth. I opened my mouth to call out to whoever it was, but stopped myself. It could be anything, so it wasn't important. I doubted either Val or Phil would be up their, if anything they would go to the first floor because that was where the exit would be. I smiled, that was if they weren't looking for me, and they would have found out, like I had, where my room had been.

I continued to the second floor and opened the door silently, but it creaked anyway and I sighed in annoyance. I looked around and saw that these halls were almost identical to the ones upstairs. Only a lot more blood was here, I smelled it as soon as I had opened the door. My gag reflex made me put a hand over my mouth. Discussing, I hated the smell of blood. I stepped into the hall and the door shut behind me.

Then I was tackled to the floor. I struggled against whatever was binding me and looked up. A women that was missing some of her forehead and had pale skin was attacking me. Her mouth was open and she was growling, her teeth stained with blood. Her eyes were vacant and glazed over and her long hair was matted. I pushed against her and she only budged a few inches. I struggled to reach in my jacket pocket, and barely slid my hand into it, the tips of my fingers clawing at the handle. The women inched closer, her teeth snipping at my face, barely missing my nose.

Finally after what seemed like an eternity I grabbed the knife, flipped it open, and with all the strength I had I stabbed her in the temple, throwing my whole body into it. The women grunted and then slumped onto me and I threw her off. I jumped up to my feet and looked down at her. She had been a nurse here at the hospital, Nurse Kimberly Watson it said on her tag. I looked at her properly and saw that she had very pretty features and automatically felt sorry for her. It was possible that she had a family and a lot of friends that had lost her, or maybe they had been lost as well. I leaned down and yanked the blade out of her skull.

Whatever this virus breakout was, it was horrible. How many people did the blood on the walls and floor belong to? This had to be the worst virus outbreak ever, especially if it had brought back the dead as human eating machines. Zombies, that's what Valerie had called them. It sure did look like it.

I turned to the nearest door and looked at the number. 289, and the one to the left of it was 288. So I went right, glancing at the numbers but watching intently around me. Bodies were scattered everywhere, and I would pause in front of them for a while before I would move on, waiting for one of them to rise to their feet and come after me, then I would constantly glance behind me. An extreme paranoia had me close to the wall as I reached room 296.

I took it slow. I was afraid, I could admit that. This was terrifying. There was no way that I was going to come back from this. No way in hell that I was ever going to forget something this devastating. If we made it out alive then it would haunt me forever. Even after death. These images will stick in my mind forever.

Finally, I was at room 305. When I was sure absolutely nothing was going to get me, I turned to it and grabbed at the handle. As expected it was locked. I took my pocket knife and flipped it open, then started working at the card slot. This was a lot more difficult then it had been in my room with the needle. The blade was thicker and it was harder to move it with ease. It took a lot longer, but I managed to make the lock click and like it had in my room, the light turned from red to green. I grabbed the doorknob.

But found myself hesitating. What would I find in here? If Val wasn't in here then where else could she be? What if she was…

I shook myself out of all the negative thoughts, I would have to face the truth anyway. I would just find another way around it all until I found her. Or until I knew what happened to her. So I opened the door holding my breath…

There she was, the room she was in matched mine perfectly. Every single corner, the mirror, the coat on the hanger, the gurney she was on… Even the wires were set up the same way they had been all around her body. Her naked body.

I walked forward, breathing again but slowly. The monitors that were hooked up to her showed that everything was working fine. Like a normal human body should. I took off my coat and draped it over her, but not before noticing the scar above her left hipbone. After I covered her I pulled the coat back a little to look at it closer. It was a dark scar, like it hadn't been long since the wound had healed. I ran my finger over it and felt the skin over it was hard and a little swollen.

Goosebumps rose at my touch on her skin, and then I jumped when a small moan came out of her mouth. I looked at her face and her eyebrows were furrowed, like she was concentrating really hard so she could open her eyes.

"Valerie, its me." I told her in a hushed voice. "Its Edward, I'm here."

It took a while, and through the process her head rocked back and fourth. A few more moans escaped and then her eyes fluttered open only slightly. Val didn't look at me at first, but she looked to the right of her, as if expecting me to be standing there. For some reason fear crossed her expression, but only for a second. If I would have blinked or looked away I would have missed it. Eventually her eyes made her way to my face, and she opened her mouth in surprise.

I smiled at her, she look pitiful. She reached her arm out weakly and her fingertips touched my face. She ran three of them across my cheek, my lips, and then down my neck stopping at my collar bone. I took her hand and held it with both of mine. The look in her eyes was new. They were glazed over, but no as if she was vacant, there was a sparkle there that I had never seen before. My heart became overwhelmingly warm and I kissed her knuckles. I was so happy and relieved that she was okay. That she was awake.

"Edward…" She whispered my name as if she was looking at her first born and giving him a name. "I… Its been so long."

"I know, have you been awake a lot since the mansion?" I asked.

"That was ages ago." She said, closing her eyes again as if she were thinking of something painful. "Ages and ages."

"Are you okay?"

"No." She shook her head. "Help me."I nodded even though she couldn't see me and started to sit her up. She winced a lot but eventually she was sitting on her own. I put my hand on the middle of her back to be sure that she would stay that way. Her long hair was sticking up everywhere and some of it fell over her face. She looked smaller then usual because of this. It seemed like there was more hair then there was Valerie. I looked over her back and was glad to see that there were no scars here. My eyes traveled downward despite myself and I smiled at the two dimples in her lower back and her perky cheeks.

Wow, she was so adorable. No other word came to mind, that one just fit perfectly. My heart swelled in my chest and I looked away. I felt bad for looking at her in this state but I couldn't help it. Even in her worst wear she was breathtaking. I shook my head and walked forward so I could see through her hair and read her face.

"You okay?" I asked again.

"Yeah, the room is spinning."

"That happens." I told her, remembering the same sensation. "Do you want to take these out? The wires?"

She nodded, and I told her to take a deep breath. I yanked and yanked, she squirmed and her face was screwed up in effort not to scream. It was the hardest thing to do, knowing I was causing her pain and watching blood trickle down her skin like it had done with me. But I knew that I had to do this if I was going to get her out of here so I kept it up. This time I pulled five out at a time, which probably hurt her badly but at least it would be over faster. When I was done, the doctors coat that she had been holding to her chest had blood spots on it.

"Ow!" She whined in the end. I had to give her credit, even though tears were running down her face, she was a tough girl.

"I'll help you stand, we have to go and find your brother."

She nodded and I wrapped my arms around her and picked her up, slowly putting her on her feet when we were clear of the gurney. Val stood on her tiptoes and tried to balance with my help. It took a few minutes but eventually she got the hang of it and could stand on her own. She put the doctors coat on and wrapped it around herself. I noticed when she took her steps she wasn't as wobbly as I had been, but she would hold out her arms as if on a balance beam and walk steady. She had always been more graceful then anyone I knew, so I wasn't surprised.

I watched her as she swept her hair from her face and tucked loose strands behind her ears. Then wiped the tear streaks from her face.

"Okay, do you know where Phil is?" She asked me, all business. Her face was set and she even looked a little angry.

"Yeah, but I should warn you about something."

"What?"

"Remember in the mansion when we ran into those Zombies?"

"Yeah."

"Well, this virus spread all the way to the city. We're in the Raccoon City Hospital. There was an evacuation five days ago so everyone had a chance to leave the city because it was taking over I suppose. Out in the halls," I pointed at the door. "There's blood everywhere. I ran into only one nurse zombie and before that I found a pocket knife. I had to stab her in the head. It had to have been luck that I didn't run into more, but I don't know if that'll be the case on the way to find Phil. He's in the basement."

"How do you know this?"

"Which part?"

"How to find us?"

"I was on the third floor and I got into a computer up there, then checked on where you guys were. It took a little digging but I found you both." I showed her the back of my hand.

After she looked at it she nodded. "We need to find a gun."

"That would be nice. We can do a little searching up here if you want to."

She agreed and then we headed for the door. I hoped that the noise that we had made, even to a bare minimum, hadn't attracted anything. But mostly, I hoped that Valerie wouldn't lose her mind at the sight of the scene she was about to see in the halls. I almost had.


	8. Chapter 8

Uh-oh!! ENJOY!!

CHAPTER 8:

I didn't want to breath anymore. Not in the since that I wanted to die, but the smell of the blood everywhere was really starting to get to me. I had accepted everything that Edward had told me so far, and even everything that had happened in the past ten days. Though I was numb from it, I had accepted it. But this smell is something that I would never accept. Or ever get used to.

We were searching desks and drawers and underneath seats, but absolutely no gun was found. Not even a second weapon. What would we do once we ran into one, or even more, of those zombies? One flimsy pocket knife, though it had saved Edward once, would be any help. I wanted to feel a gun in my hands again. That would heighten my hopes of getting out of this cursed hospital alive. Where the hell was a gun?

"I found something." Edward said from the inside of a scrub closet.

I sighed in relief. Something was good. Anything was good.

"What?"

"It's not your preferred weapon, but I think this will do." He said, emerging with a smile.

When he brought it over to the light I saw that it was a P32 - .32 Cal. I smiled at him with admiration and held out my hand. He placed the small handgun in my palm and I checked how many bullets it was carrying. It was fully loaded. My heart soared, this would be enough if I didn't get trigger happy. I would shoot only when we were attacked.

"Fantastic." I told him. "You're a savior."

"Its what I do."

I looked up at him and smiled warmly. It really seemed like that was all he did. When I had woke up from whatever sleep I had been in I was so afraid that it was that doctor back again. But when I had seen Edward I felt like I was seeing an angel, I had to touch him to make sure that he was real. I couldn't remember ever feeling as happy as I did when I saw his perfect face.

"Shall we?" I asked, before I thought too much on the topic.

"Of course. Lets take the stairs I came from, it looked pretty clear, I heard someone up a flight on the fourth floor, but I don't think that they were coming down anytime soon." He told me.

I agreed and we slowly made our way back, trying our hardest not to make too much noise. It was worst then I had imagined it, the bodies were everywhere. There were stains of dry blood and even puddles of more blood. I could see that the bodies ranged from patients to doctors to nurses. Even a few visitors. I couldn't believe it, all these people were dead, and this was only one building in a whole city. I had to start getting used to seeing the dead. If they were still as well as moving.

I just wanted to find my brother and get the hell out of here. I didn't know if there was a better chance of survival outside, but I knew it had to be better then feeling like there was no escape. I felt claustrophobic, and I barely ever got that way.

"The smell," I hissed at Edward. "I can barely stand it anymore."

"Look." He grabbed me on the wrist. "Cigarettes."

My eyes followed where he was pointing and I smiled, there was a pack lying by a body. There were blood spots on it, but that wasn't the reason I hesitated.

"What if it wakes up and bites my hand?" I asked him.

"I've been by here before and nothing moved. I think they're really dead."

"You get it." I told him smiling. "I'll aim… Just in case."

Edward sighed and rolled his eyes at me. "You always do that."

"Do what?"

"So you'd rather my hand get bit then yours right?"

"Well, yeah. Wouldn't you rather mine get bit instead of yours?"

"No." He told me.

I immediately felt horrible, I had been joking of course but I didn't expect him to take it this seriously. I sighed and walked forward, keeping my small gun pointed at the body next to the pack of cigs. I quickly grabbed them when I sprung up the courage and backed up into Edward quickly. My heart was hammering against my chest, and I was panting. Edward caught me so I wouldn't trip and then steadied me.

"I was going to get them you know." He told me, pulling a crooked smile.

"It doesn't matter, I really would have rather got them myself." I told him, and then I scowled because his smile widened.

"I know." He told me.

"Do you always have to give me a hard time about everything? Even after we have been away from each other for so long."

"Well see, to me it feels like we were at the mansion just yesterday. I haven't been awake since then, so it doesn't really feel like its been that long."

I changed the subject. "How are we going to get to Phil? I'm worried about him."

"Lets just go." He told me.

So we were silent all the way down the stairs. I checked my pack of cigarettes that I had just inherited and saw that there was half a pack left. It was good enough for me, I just wanted one. I would absolutely LOVE to have just one.

"Do you want a cigarette break?" Edward asked me when we were on the landing of the first floor. "We could stop."

"No, we need to find Phil first." I told him. "Then when we get outside if we don't die first then I'll have one… We'll all have one, I'm sure my brother would smoke his first cigarette today."

We opened the door quietly, and both peaked out. I could feel Edwards chin resting on the top of my head so he had the same view that I did. I could see four zombies walking around. Three were near the front door and the other was closer to us. I pushed Edward back with my butt and closed the door just as quietly.

"Okay, if I shoot the one closest then the others will come after us. I don't want to waist that many bullets."

"That's what I was thinking, and what if there's more around the corner or something?" He reminded me.

"Okay… okay. I need a lighter."

Edward smiled at me and pulled one out of his pocket. "I found it in that closet where I found the gun."

I took it and quickly lit a cigarette. "You don't think they could smell smoke do you?"

"Nah, they're dead. They just see human people and run up to them and attack."

"How do you think they know the difference between us and another zombie?"

"We're warm?" He shrugged.

I smiled at him and took a very long drag from my cigarette. As soon as I inhaled I felt my nerves calm instantly. I almost moaned at the sensation. I took another one and felt dizzy from how hard I was hitting it. But I couldn't control how deeply I inhaled. It was like this is what my body was craving all this time, no matter how unhealthy it was. A strange apathy came over me, and I didn't worry about what was waiting for us out there anymore. I was confident that I would see my brother soon and we would get out of here. I felt good.

"May I?" Edward asked, holding out his hand. Instead of letting him have a drag of mine I gave him his own. "Thanks."

I watched him light his cigarette and smiled. His reaction was the same way that I had felt. His face relaxed, he closed his eyes and let his head fall back a little before he exhaled. Sexy, that was the best word to describe him now. I didn't care that he was my best friend since five, I didn't care that it had felt weird at first. I definitely didn't care admitting that I was attracted to him in the most extreme way. The only thing that was holding me back from walking up to him and throwing my arms around him was my fear of rejection, as usual.

"Edward."

"What?"

"I was never one to take a chance was I?"

"You took a chance when you ran away with me and your brother, and your taking chances now. But before that not really, why?"

"I was just thinking… If we did die, there might be this one thing that I would want to do before. But I'm not sure if I would have the guts to do it."

"What is that?"

"I don't know. I'll try to show you later."

Edward smiled. "If you cant do it now, then you might not get the chance to do it later. What if our death is waiting on the other side of that door? Then you would have never done it because there would be no later."

"Good point." I said.

I imagined half running to him and grabbing him, slipping my arms around his neck and my fingers through his hair, then pulling his mouth down to mine. I imagined kissing him passionately, a kiss that he wouldn't know what to do with, and he would just give in. Give in and kiss me back… But that was a completely different world.

"I'll take my chances with what's behind the door, but I wont take my chances with that just yet."

He was narrowing his eyes again when he took another drag. I could tell that he hated when I was unpredictable. Most of his life he could practically read my mind, and lately I bet I was giving him a trip with keeping up. He knew nearly everything about me. But some things I would keep quiet. Like the fact that I used to smoke pot, the fact that I was falling for him hard. But mostly what had happened to me these last ten days. That I would never tell him.

I couldn't even begin to remind myself.

"Done?" I asked, and he nodded. "Lets go."

We opened the door quietly again and looked out. There were five zombies now, I cursed under my breath just as I heard Edward do the same. I was more annoyed then scared as I looked for the safest way around them. I could see that there was a door fifty feet from us down the hall to the left that had the big words DO NOT ENTER over it. Then above that same door there was B1. That was the basement entrance. The only problem was that there was a mound of about 7 bodies blocking a clear path. We could run and jump, maybe they were all dead. That would be the risk we would have to take.

"Follow me." I told Edward, and felt him nod.

I took off, not even looking back at the five monsters that were dragging their feet. I heard Edward behind me, his feet pounding. Then I heard a terrifying shriek, the door we came from slamming shut, and then more shrieks joining the first. I ran harder, hoping that the things didn't have the ability to run at all. But I could hear more feet moving, faster then before. Finally I got to the bodies and lunged over them, but something caught my foot and I fell before I could make it over. Face first, barely catching myself with my hands.

Regardless of the catch my mouth slammed into the stone hard floor and I felt blood fill my mouth. I spit once and looked up, Edward was stopping now and back tracking. I tried to tell him to go, tried to get up on my own, but whatever I had tripped over was grabbing me by the ankle now with a solid grip. My heart raced as I turned to look at the scene behind us.

The five zombies had been joined by four more, two of which had rose from the pile. The thing that had grabbed my ankle was another one that had no legs. Major adrenaline kicked in and I aimed my gun at the closest two standing and shot them in the head. By then the one that had me had crawled up my calves. I was about to aim my gun and shoot it in the head too, but Edward got there before me. With one powerful kick the zombies head came off and rolled away toward the others that were dangerously close now.

Edward grabbed me under the arms and dragged me from underneath the headless body, jerked me to my feet and turned me around shoving me to the door. We made it barely, ripping open the door and slamming it behind us. Edward leaned against it and I looked up at him, his eyes were wide and his mouth half open as if he was about to shout. I spun around and looked behind me and yet another zombie was waiting there, two feet away from me and lunging forward. Just in time I raised my gun and shot him in the dead center of his skull.

There was a few moments of silence.

"Shit." Edward laughed. "That was close."

"Yeah." I breathed.

"Your lip is busted." He told me.

"I can feel that." I said more bitterly then I intended. I put my finger to my bottom lip and pressed gently. "Ow!"

"Come here." Edward said, walking forward.

I watched as he lifted the top half of his scrub and used it to mop up my lip. His eyes were intent and he was concentrating, absentmindedly biting the bottom of his own lip. His lips were so full and perfect. It was normally so rare for a guy to have such perfect lips. My own were stinging, but I felt like it had nothing to do with the injury. When he was done I looked down and could see that a large spot of his scrub was now covered with my blood. Then I looked up to thank him.

But my voice was caught in my throat. His face was inches from mine, and he had scooted so close that our bodies were just barely touching. His hand was underneath my chin still, and he was staring in my eyes, occasionally glancing back at my lips.

"It wont stop bleeding." He told me quietly.

I just nodded. That's all I could do. I was frozen. I had never froze up like this before.

Then he moved closer and his lips brushed mine. I took in a sharp breath and immediately felt stupid, but he didn't seem to mind. Then he was kissing me with such care that I felt like my lips were against the clouds. I inhaled his smell through my nose and closed my eyes. He was so beautiful, everything about him. At this moment my heart was growing so fast and every inch was just for him.

Then he kissed me a little harder, and I could feel my bottom lip sting from the pressure. But I didn't complain. He was sucking on my bottom lip and a jolt of hormones passed through me. I was on fire. I kissed him back, even harder. His tongue tasted so sweet. I pocketed my gun and rested my hands on his hips and felt them inching upward, tingling to get into his hair.

He grunted and the urgency of the kiss intensified. He moved his hands down my sides to curl them around my lower back and press me to him. The pain in my lip was screaming in protest by now, but the bliss I was feeling overrode it. We could go as far as we wanted, right here in this staircase. No one would be around to interrupt us. No parents, not even Phil…

My mind felt like it was fast forwarding, and making sense of everything. We couldn't do this now. I pulled back and the high that I had felt before vanished as if it was a switch that had been clicked off. Edward came after me, wanting my lips on his again. His eyes were closed and they opened just a little bit, staring hungrily at them.

"We.." I nearly moaned, but cleared my throat. "We have to get Phil… We cant do this."

He nodded, but still moved closer. I pulled back more, feeling a mixture of guilt for taking this time to make out with Edward, and sadness from having to stop. Finally we were out of each others arms and I was straightening the coat that I had on. The only thing that I had on, I reminded myself. It could have gone far.

When we had both snapped out of it I mentioned that we should get going without looking at him. I was afraid that if I did it would be the end of me. He officially drove me crazy. I could feel a small tear of blood running down my cheek from my lip and brought my own sleeve to it. We made our way down the stairs silently. Running into nothing new on the way down.

"What room was it again?" I asked my feet.

"B-14." Edward answered. His voice was different. Hushed, but at the same time it seemed like he was struggling with something.I wanted to look up at him, but I was afraid that if our eyes met then I would do or say something stupid. I felt so immature, this wasn't my first kiss ever but it really felt like it. I had butterflies in my stomach that were threatening to swallow me whole from the inside. I felt giddy. But mostly I felt the need for him that made my whole body ach. Did anyone ever feel this way? This couldn't be normal. I was hurting, wasn't I supposed to be flying or that bullshit that girls talked about in the school halls after kissing a "hottie."

We got to the door and opened it pulling the same routine as before. Here it was completely empty, and I sighed in relief. We slipped out and Edward made sure that the door didn't slam. When he turned to me I quickly turned away, looking at the nearest room to see how far away we were. B-1 was what the nearest room said.

I led the way, keeping a hold on my gun in my pocket incase I needed it. But there was nothing down here. Even the walls were completely clean, no papers scattered. It felt almost empty. For some reason this didn't calm me but made me even more nerves. What if Phil wasn't here? Edward had mentioned evacuation. What if Phil was gone? Then where would he be? Back with mom and dad? That wouldn't be the best news at all, I would rather he was sent somewhere else far away. Further than where home was, that wasn't even far enough from the city. What if this virus had spread and reached there? Edwards parents…

I couldn't even think about it. Besides, like Edward had mentioned before, they were extremely intelligent. They would have gotten out. But then the thought of there son being in the middle of no where would have caused them to search and find out if he was still safe… But I knew they were smart. They were okay. Sadly, I cared more about their well being then my own parents, but the loathing I had for mine wasn't necessarily my doing.

"Right there." Edward said, and I jumped. His voice had echoed through the empty halls and it sounded like he had shouted.

I looked where he was pointing and smiled. B-14, we had gotten here faster then I had expected. I was so excited that I almost ran into the door itself. I went to open it and Edward stopped me. "If its locked I can use my knife-"

The door clicked open.

"Its not." I whispered.

I looked in and the first thing that caught my eye was the huge machine that was surrounding a bigger gurney. Then I looked to the gurney itself… It was empty.

"Phil?" I half shouted. There was no response. "Phil, are you here?"

Nothing. Silence. Just as I had feared.

I walked in the room and looked around pointlessly. It was empty beside what I had already saw. Stupidly I took the sheet off the gurney and looked underneath, hoping I would see my brother there. Nothing. I looked at the monitors, touched each of them, and then touched the gurney. Nothing.

Nothing.

Nothing.

My brother was gone.


	9. Chapter 9

My heart broke as I watched Valerie look around a clearly empty room. I could tell that the moment she lost hope was the worst I would see her. This whole trip had shown me the serious side of Val, the side that I was unfamiliar with. Now that I watched her I could tell that she had always been the way she had because there was no other option. Or she would be this girl, the one that I was watching drain. How many days had she pretended that everything was okay? For what? If this was the real Valerie, the one I was seeing now, then I know I would have stayed with her and helped her work through it. No matter how much it hurt to see her this way.

There was something positively different about the way I felt for her now, and it had been sealed with that kiss on the stairway. I couldn't help myself, I forgot who I was before I made that move. I just wanted her and that was it. It seemed simple and not nearly as complicated as I normally would have thought it would be. It just happened, and it was the best thing that had ever happened that I could remember. The best feeling that I had felt. I knew that I absolutely loved her. My life would be incomplete without her, and that's why we were in this position in the first place.

I felt horrible that I had put us here. That Phil was gone. That our lives were at risk. I knew that this was all my fault. But if we would have stayed, it would have been worst. She would be gone. I would rather go through this hell with her then be comfortable at home without her. It was insane and selfish, but true.

"He's not…" Valerie said, pushing the gurney with force that I didn't know she had. "He's not here… He's not-"

"Val. I'm so sorry, this is all my fault."

"I know." She told me. "All your fault. You both could be living lives right now, you could be okay."

"We wouldn't have been okay without you-"

"You would have been just fine DAMNIT!!!" I was seeing fire in her eyes, her voice was still ringing around the room. "Why am I so goddamn important to you? What is so special about me? I'm your best friend, but that doesn't last forever. It cant, people move on!"

I stood there speechless, I wanted her to just let it out. There was nothing to defend if I couldn't change anything. We were stuck here for now, that was the fact.

"I've never been treated like you treat me, by anyone. Not even Phil… Explain to me why I'm so important to you? Why? It makes no since. Why would you risk your life running away with me? Why would you do that? Knowing that I told you I had a bad feeling. IT IS ALL YOUR FAULT! YOU BROUGHT US HERE!"

Her hands were balling into fists, and she was pacing on her tiptoes. I could see tears streaming down her cheeks. I wanted to comfort her, but I knew better. The last time I had seen Val this angry was over her parents. Touching her or even taking a step near her would not be a good idea. She would come to me, I knew that she would. She always did when she broke and all her defenses were worn out.

I listened and nodded my head, letting her ramble on. She yelled at me until I heard her voice crack and then talked so low that I could barely catch the words. She punched the brick wall and I saw her knuckles bleed, she yanked at her hair. This was a rare occasion and I was taking every detail in. I wasn't enjoying it, but she didn't do this in front of anyone else.

"I…" She finally looked at me, her eyes catching mine and holding them. Her cheeks and eyes raw pink. "I just want to know." She whispered in the end. I waited in silence for her to come to me, and she did. She walked to me with shame on her face, looking like she was going to pass out from exhaustion. I held my arms out and before she was a comfortable distance she collapsed and I caught her sinking to the floor. She was sobbing hard into my chest as I pulled her closer and she curled up in my lap.

"Valerie." I began, taking my time. "Phil is okay, if he wasn't then there would be blood. He evacuated with everyone, that's probably what happened."

She barely nodded, burying her face into my chest with stronger force."I did this because I cant imagine my life without you. I was selfish, I was wrong, but I wanted you with me. Not only because I was used to you. I want you Valerie, and your not used to hearing that. But I promise, I would go to any length to keep you with me, and this happened to be a bad one. Who in the world would have predicted something like this?"

"Why?" She mumbled. "What have I done?""You've been there for me more then you give yourself credit for. I'm not going to pretend that I haven't been there for you a lot too, your life is pretty screwed up. You hold it together well. That's what I love about you, your so strong, and its okay to break down like this. I want to see that you need me at times. Its strange, but I enjoy it when your vulnerable."

She nodded into my chest again and I could hear her giggle a little bit. It was a nerves tick she had after every good cry, no matter the situation. "Do you really think Phil is okay?"

"Yeah." I told her, and I really meant it. "I have a good feeling about it."

Valerie froze and I thought my heart skipped a beat, it was such a sudden and random thing to do. "You okay?"

She looked up at me and nodded, then smiled warmly. It was almost a beam, I felt my face grow warmer. Her eyes had captured mine again, but this was a different feeling. I felt as if an adrenaline rush was building up, and I was incapable to put it to action, frozen. I watched as her face grew closer to mine, and excitement was building up in my chest with every inch. I knew this was ridicules, that I had felt this before in the stairwell. Regardless, I wasn't the one making the move and my heart was racing. Tears were still trapped in her eyelashes like dew on grass. She was breathtaking, more in this moment then ever before.

"Edward." Her breath caressed my lips, her eyes traveled to my mouth.

"Yeah?"

"I have to talk to you about something."

"What?" I felt the corner of my lips twitch and I was smiling.

"I love it when you smile at me like that."

"Like what?"

"The sideways thing you do with your lips."

Her lips were brushing mine now, and I felt mine start to tingle. She was nuzzling my nose with hers, and my heart was swelling. I was nerves. Why? We had done this before. When she paused I didn't want her to stop, and was on the brink of telling her that. But she kissed me, and her lips completely covered mine, possessing them. It wasn't deep and passionate, it was small and simple. A peck.

Then another one.

Then another.

Then she pulled back a few inches and looked into my eyes again. "Your so tense."

"I am?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry I didn't mean to…"

"No… It's just-" I started to laugh. "No one has ever kissed me before."

Valerie cocked her head to the right and huffed. "What the hell are you talking about? I've seen you kissing a girl before."

"Yeah, I kissed her… I'm always the one to make the move. You're the first. So, technically, you're my first kiss."

"It doesn't work that way fool." Valerie rolled her eyes at me. "Your first kiss counts when you kiss someone period.""No no…" I shook my head.

Valerie laughed. "You would fight with me to the death over a kiss."

I smiled at her. "It doesn't matter."

I closed the small space between us and kissed her with a stronger passion then before, surprised that it was possible. I felt her go limp for a moment and then she was wrapping her fingers in my hair. There was no possible way that I could ever see me coming down from this high. My head was spinning, my hormones were racing faster then ever before. Everything seemed so clear, but so fast that it was a blur. One moment, I could feel her lifting herself out of my lap and straddling me. Then I was on top of her, lowering her onto the cold floor. She whimpered as her bare legs touched the marble, then wrapped them around my waist. Our breathing grew heavier.

My hands were everywhere, truly taking in everything for the first time. Her perfectly shaped stomach, her beautiful face, her elegant long neck, the dimples in her lower back, her hips pressing with force against mine. Then they found their way to her upper thighs, and started inching upward, lifting the bottom of her coat. I had no self control. She bit my lower lip, and pain shot through it and a fresh wave of hormones traveled down my body. I grunted and kissed her harder…

"Don't move!"

We froze, and I lifted my head a little so I could look into Val's eyes. Her lip was bleeding again from the force of our kiss, and she was looking back at me. Her eyes were confused for a split second, and then widened just as I heard a click that sounded like a gun being cocked. We were there, on the floor, frozen with fear. Her legs were still around me, my hands had found their way to her bare ass. In a normal situation, without the gun, I knew if I would have caught someone in the position we were in, it would have been funny. But I was far from laughing now.

"Get off the girl." I heard a female voice command. "Then stand up and put your back to the wall."

"Who are you?" My voice sounded worn."That doesn't fucking matter, seeing as I'm the one with the gun."

I did as I was told, trying to look into Val's eyes reassuringly. But Val wasn't looking at me anymore, she was looking away toward the voice. When I stood I turned slowly with my hands up and backed to the wall, looking at the new women…

She looked like the definition of badass women everywhere. Dark hair that only reached her jaw line, an expression that said "don't fuck with me," and her stance was near military posture. But what made this women different was that she was wearing a blood red dress that draped down to her ankles and classy black high heels. There was a slit in the skirt that reached all the way to her upper thigh. I was impressed, I had to admit it. She was nothing compared to Val, but I couldn't deny that she was sexy.

"What are you doing here?" The scarlet women asked us.

"We're patients." Valerie said, her voice harsh and agitated. I glanced at her and couldn't help but smile. " Well, we were patients, but we're getting out of here. Who the hell are you?"

"That's none of your business so why don't you just keep your pretty mouth shut and let me run the show." She lowered her gun a few inches. "It didn't look as though you were putting much effort into leaving."

We exchanged a glance. Val's face was red, and I knew that it wasn't out of embarrassment as much as it was out of frustration.

"If your leaving, get out of here… I cant afford to baby-sit at the moment. And if you were smart you would get far away from here, if you can make it out of the front door."

And that was it… As quick as the women interfered she was gone, the hem of her skirt disappearing into the hall. I heard Valerie mumble something under her breath but didn't ask. Instead I turned to her and raised my eyebrows.

"What?" She breathed, her brows pushed together from agitation.

"I think that we should put more effort into leaving." I grinned.

"I think… Yeah your right."

I wanted to hold my hand out for her to grab, but I didn't know how much further I could push things right now. At least not without crossing awkward boundaries. So I waited for her to move, watching her pass and keep her eyes locked with mine. And then I laughed out loud.

"What?" She asked me again.

"I was just thinking… about boundaries." I admitted.

She rolled her eyes. "What boundaries!?"

"Well," I cleared my throat. "Where are we, exactly."

A small look of hurt crossed her expression only for a moment, and then she looked around us. "In my brothers vacant hospital room. Probably in the middle of a city full of the undead… I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"I shouldn't have done that… Well, we shouldn't do this… anymore." She looked ashamed.

My heart ached from rejection for a moment, but then from guilt. She was right, and I felt that she shouldn't be the one apologizing. But before I could open my mouth to say anything she was turning to leave the room. I followed her, trying to put together words that I wasn't sure of yet.

"Okay, so Phil isn't here in the hospital. Do we know that for sure?" Val asked me looking ahead.

"Not for sure… But I have a feeling he isn't. You saw what was out there in the halls…" I stopped there, not feeling the need to go further. If Phil wasn't in his room or anywhere down in the basement then he had somehow managed to escape or he was roaming with… _those things…_ I was hoping it was the latter.

Val swallowed hard and cleared her throat. "Your right, he's probably gone." She finally turned to me and looked up into my eyes. "Did you see what they had him on though? Those machines and that gurney were huge. They could have done something to him."

"They?"

"Never mind."

I suddenly got the feeling that she was hiding something from me. I watched as she took her gun out of her pocket and check how much ammo we had. I was about to ask her to spill, but once again she turned and started walking from me, back the way that we came. I decided to let it drop, and knew that I would have to find out eventually. Valerie had more pressing thoughts on her mind short of me hassling her.

"We need to find a map." She told me as we walked. "And possibly more weapons. I don't think that we're going to survive the entire city with a tiny handgun."

"Okay," I agreed. "But where would we find that in a hospital? I say our best bet would find the police station."

"We have no idea where that is. And we cant run around completely blind, especially not in this situation. I say if we get out of here, depending on how bad the streets are, we find another building. Hopefully the police station is close by, but if we run into a gun shop before then we should load up there."

I nodded and then we turned and continued to walk, the trip out was faster then the one in. We were walking up the stairs quietly in no time at all and we were standing at the landing. The landing where I had first kissed her. My heart started beating fast, not only from the fear of what was to come, but for her too. This would always be our spot. In a sick and demonic hospital, in a city that I hoped we would never see again.

"Valer-"

But before I could get her full name out of my mouth she turned to me, lifted herself with her tiptoes and pulled my head down. She kissed me deeply, with controlled passion. I opened my mouth slightly to inhale her smell, her passion, the moment. Hopefully it wouldn't be our last. But if it had, I knew that I would die happily knowing that she felt the same way as I did. This kiss was sealing the deal.

I was in love with my best friend. It was a possibility that I had been this entire time. But I didn't care, I knew it now.

And from the way Val was kissing me, I knew the feeling was mutual.

When she parted I looked down at her and we were both out of breath. "There you go."

"What?" I panted.

"The last thing that I wanted to do before I died. That was it."

It took me a moment to register what she had just said, then when I did I smiled. "I guess all of our moments are going to be in staircases at hospital hell then… But lets get out of here so we can build new ones shall we?"

I leaned down and gave her a quick peck on the lips, then realized that she was still bleeding. "And maybe we should hold off on this wonderful exchange for a while." I told her licking my lips and tasting her blood.

She smiled at me and nodded. "At this rate I'm never going to be able to heal."

"If you can try to use one hand to cover your mouth with that sleeve, and shoot with one hand. Or you can give me the gun and stay close."

"Not a chance."

"They don't need to smell the blood."

"We don't need to die just yet, I have to get you out of here for personal reasons." She winked at me, and then pointed to herself. "Selfish, remember?"


	10. Chapter 10

Edward shook his head and chuckled silently. He was so sexy, so amazing, so beautiful, so _mine_! So so so so mine! All mine! I felt guilty for having our moments together when Phil was out there somewhere, hopefully far away from the city, but we couldn't be sure.

Despite that fact, I couldn't help myself. I was ready to put all the blame on Edward, ready to declare that he started the whole thing right in this very spot. But I was in love! In love and in lust. For once holding the same company with me. It was one or the other, never both. But I loved and wanted him, even in this hell. Even though there were possibly fifty monsters waiting for us outside of this door.

Then something hit me. This was it! This had been the dark place that I envisioned in that tent ages ago, the reason my hormones had raced and what kept me from running. As soon as I looked around and took it in, shocked, my epiphany became a massive headache. A cry of pain escaped my lips before I could avoid it, and I cupped my hands around my head.

"Val! What's wrong? What is it?" I felt Edward grabbed me before I could collapse. "Val? Valerie?"

"I- I don't…"

In that moment of shock and horror, a scream caught in my throat. I had looked down at my arms and my skin was crawling. Literally! It looked as though there were worms underneath my skin and they were making there way up the inside of my arms to my shoulders. Another breathtaking shock of pain consumed my brain and I closed my eyes, planning to open them. Hoping that this was a dream, a nightmare. Hoping that I would open them, and I would be back inside of that tent.

But I couldn't open my eyes. Behind my lids I was seeing something terrifying. A monster. It was larger then life. At least eight foot tall and bulky, mutated. Its skin was a dead brown color and in its left arm it was holding a grenade launcher. Its other arm wasn't an arm at all but what looked like a tentacle. It was blood red and swaying. As it approached me I could see that it was wearing black armor. But all of this was the least terrifying, if that was possible. One look at its face and I felt my heart clinch in horror. It had no lips. The flesh where they should have been was torn back and stitched up, fully exposing a grotesque set of teeth. There was no left eye, but a scar that ran directly down from its forehead to its teeth.

Something drew my vision to its right eye, taking all of my focus. It was getting closer still, and I could see the details of the eye clearly. Despite the situation and scene in front of me, I felt a warm comfort. That wasn't the eye of the monster itself. That was my brothers eye. Phil's eye. Phil…

The thing raised its launcher and pointed it at me. I could hear a low growl build up in its chest as he let one word escape from him. It's voice demonic.

"STARS!"

Before the blast I screamed what I thought would be my last words. "PHIL!?! NO!"

"Valerie! VAL?!?" Edwards voice broke through my nightmare.

I opened my eyes and felt the cool concrete of the floor underneath me. My eyes swam back into focus and landed on him… Edward… Who seemed to always be there to wake me from nightmares lately. My mouth opened and closed repeatedly. I couldn't bring myself to speak my thoughts. What would he say if I told him that I had a vision? What would he do if I said I knew where Phil was… What Phil was. My eyes started to water.

"Val, are you okay?" He asked me, leaning closer and picking me up to pull me into him. He sat on the floor and cradled me. His eyes were wide and his face was pale.

"I… I don't know… What happened?"

"You just passed out and… started screaming for Phil…. There were things in your arms. I think I was just seeing things… I'm not sure."

"I saw it too," I told him. "I saw…"

"It's okay. Your okay, I'm here." His voice was gentle, shaken.

"It was Phil. I saw him."

"Where?" He turned as if he were expecting to see my brother standing behind him.

"Never mind, I must be going crazy. It was nothing. We have to get the fuck out of here."

"Valerie, your not telling me everything… I need to know what's going on. If your not comfortable with that, you have to get comfortable fast. If we're going to survive this damn city we have to work together as partners."

I looked into his eyes and melted, a full warmth and comfort consuming me. I knew that I could trust him with the truth. But I didn't know if I could trust him to accept it as just that, the truth, and not how I knew he would take everything that had happened to me.

"Okay, if I tell you what has happened you have to keep in mind our original goal. Getting out of here is most important. You cant change what has happened, and revenge is pointless." I told him, he nodded so I began. "I think it was supposed to happen to you as well, but before they got to you the place was evacuated…"

_I woke, my last memory was falling to the floor laughing with Edward and Phillip. But there we different voices surrounding me now. Unfamiliar voices. They sounded professional, talking about things that I couldn't understand. Charts. Progress? I tried to open my eyes, but my head would spin so I lay there and listened to what the two male voices were saying. They were so close. _

"_She's a perfect candidate. Her blood type is rare and her health is outstanding. She's strong so there will be phenomenal progress. The boy upstairs is sedated, and we can start on him if she fails…"_

"_Then start the procedure. We have no time to waist. I want a full report on the boy next door. If he's anything like his sister then I think that the nemesis program will begin sooner then I hoped."_

"_Spencer. I have my doubts about nemesis. We would have to bring venom from a bio weapon into the facility and that is a danger to us all…"_

"_Do as I said. I'm sure that your wife and family would be very disappointed if you do not return home when the month is out. You work for me and should know that I do not tolerate doubt of my expertise from a half wit."_

_There was a long period of silence after this. I could hear objects being moved around. I must be in a hospital. But the conversation between the two men so close to me was one that I couldn't wrap my head around. It sounded as though I were a subject to an experiment. An experiment that Edward was a second option to if I failed to be a success. Then they had mentioned Phil. He was going to be an experiment of a program called nemesis? I knew that nemesis meant 'enemy.' But they had talked of a 'bio weapon' and I had no idea what they meant about that. _

_Suddenly I felt the surface below me jerk and vibrate, and heard the quiet squeak of wheels. I must be on a gurney, and they were moving me. I was afraid to speak, not even sure if I could or not. Through my eyelids I could see shadows sweeping by. And then the gurney stopped and I heard a faint beep and click. It must have been a door that unlocked. Then I started moving again. There was another voice, female. _

"_I have all of her health records here and a chart on her normal heart rate. If we sedate her again now we will be able to begin in ten minutes." _

"_Begin." The voice of the man named Spencer demanded. _

_I wanted to scream for them to stop and demand answers. I wanted to throw myself from the hold I felt I was in and fight my way out of wherever I was held. I wanted to find my brother and my best friend. But before I could do any of this I felt a sharp pain in my neck and I started to drift off like I had before in the mansion. _

_But I wasn't laughing. _

_I woke up and saw the outline of a man to the right of me. My vision was foggy and I felt like I wanted to go back to sleep and never wake up. Then the memories of what happened last rushed through my head and I blinked several times to clear my sight. The man was middle aged. His sandy blonde hair line was receding and he looked down his pointed nose at me with small and beady eyes. They were friendly. He wore a white lab coat with no name tag. My heart started to race when he smiled, but not in the good way. I knew who he was before he opened his lips to speak to me. _

"_Hello darling. Welcome to stage one of your creation. How do you feel?"_

"_Wh… What did you do to me?" I couldn't recognize my voice. It was lower then usual and it sounded rough. _

_The man ignored me. "My name is Spencer. But, you can call me God. I am going to make you into something that you couldn't even dream of in your wildest and most vivid imagination. You will become the future of all of my research. You will become the future of the human population, among other things." _

"_I… I don't want… where is my brother? What are you doing to him?"_

_Again he ignored me. "Your charts show that you have an exquisite amount of brain activity. Even before our starting point, far surpassing a normal human. No worries, we can take advantage of this. You will be my gift, a reward for all of my hard work."_

"_I don't want to be anything to you. Tell me where my brother is-"_

"_Your brother is going to be put to great use as well, don't you worry about that. As far as the encounter between the two of you, it will happen soon enough. A turning point, a test of your abilities." _

_My courage melted away when I looked at the excitement in this psycho's face. There was no comfort there, nothing that assured me that my brother was okay. Nothing that told me this "encounter" would be a good one. I wasn't done asking questions, I wanted to know what they were doing to Edward and where he was as well. But I couldn't bring myself to ask, I didn't want to know. I was afraid. _

_I looked around the room instead and saw florescent lights above me. The walls were blank except for a mirror that nearly took up the entire wall opposite me. I had a feeling that it was a two way mirror. There was machine after machine surrounding me, keeping up with my heart rate and brainwaves and other things that had to do with my body. There was an IV tube running to my wrist. And a few other tubes that ran from the side of my head. _

_I. Was. Naked. _

_Anger overwhelmed me and I felt tears come to my eyes. I was naked and strapped down like an animal. I noticed that there was a fresh cut on my hipbone and had recently been stitched up, the little blood that ran from it was unclean. I started to jerk violently, my heart racing. I had no idea what my body was doing, my thoughts muddled together and my eyes started to roll to the back of my head. _

_Once again, everything went black… _

_I couldn't tell you how long time had past when I was out cold, when I woke up, if it was night or day, how long it had been since I had been strapped here. But each time I had woke up there were more tubes added. Different people would come and go, but the only face that was familiar was Spencer's. He always stood to the right of me. Always. _

_I went through mind blowing headaches and bone crushing seizures. Awake or not I could constantly hear Spencer demanding someone to up the dosage… up the dosage… up the dosage… _

"The next time I woke up you were there… Like my own personal angel. I couldn't tell if you were real or not." I finished, finally looking up at Edward.

His expression was one I only ever saw him use when he was around my dad. But this was different. His beautiful hazel brown eyes were flashing, and I saw a monster behind them for a split second. This was just what I had feared.

"So, you see… It has happened. They're gone and we have to get out of here now. I don't know what they did to me. I just know that I feel fine, like I did before this all happened. But this unexpected migraine is new… among other things."

I almost threw up at the last thing I had said. Spencer's words… 'Among other things.' Other monsters, zombies. He obviously knew that all of this would happen.

"What things?" Edward asked, his jaw clinched.

"Well… supposedly I have brain activity that is advanced from any other human right? So… Hmmm. How do I tell you this without you thinking I've gone crazy?"

"Val, the last time you said that you turned out to be right."

"Okay…" I looked around, the small and dark place that we were in. "I saw this happening. I saw you kiss me, before it happened. Remember that time in the tent? When I was out of breath and needed fresh air? I saw it, and it was so real."

"So… your saying that your… psychic? You can see the future?"

"No, I cant see the future… well, I guess you could say that. But that was the first time it happened. Ever. Then, when I realized what I had done, after I kissed you a moment ago. That headache came back to me and I saw something else.."

"And? What did you see?"

"I think I saw Phil…" I told him count by count of what I saw and then paused for his reaction.

"Do you think Phil is… That nemesis thing that they were talking about?" He finally asked.

"Yes… I think that is what that thing was. I think… that I'm going to have to fight him."

"But if everyone evacuated then there would be no one here to make you fight. Did you find out what they made out of you?"

"No, never. I just know that I'm going to have to fight him, forced or not." I was surprised how quickly he just accepted all of this.

"Do you know if… they made me into anything? When I woke I was in a similar room and strapped down just as you were."

"I don't know for sure, but they had said that they would use you as a backup only if I failed, or along those lines. Maybe they just prepared you for the experiment but never carried through."

"We could go though hospital records we find and see what they say-"

"No!" I stopped him. "Lets just get out of here, please. I really just want to get out and away from this place, I don't care what I am."

"Okay, I can understand that… But what if something happens? Like one of those seizures, I wouldn't know how to take care of you."

"It will be fine. Lets just… go."

I stood up and my legs were weak, but I refused to let Edward help me. I looked at him and could see that he was upset and worried. I realized it was unfair of me to deny him answers that might be in this hospital, even answers to what could have happened to him. But I doubted that anything had been done to him, and that at least made me feel better. My gun had fell out of my pocket when I had collapsed, so I leaned over to pick it up. We had wasted so much time down here.

I opened the door without hesitation and had my gun raised, ready to shoot anything that might threaten us. But there was nothing there, the pile of bodies were even gone. The entire floor seemed eerily quiet. I looked to the left of us and saw the hospital exit. Edward was right behind me, so close that I could hear him breathing.

Cautiously, without looking back, I inched my way toward the doors. It seemed to good to be true that there was nothing in the way to slow us down. I wanted to run for them, but feared that it would cause too much noise. Right on cue a zombie rounded the corner and started sluggishly moving toward us, a moan echoing off the quiet walls.

I shot it square in the head and felt Edwards hand grasp my shoulder, making me jump. I looked back at him.

"Go." He whispered. "Go and I'll catch up. I have to know-"

"Edward no!" I snapped, louder then I intended to. I heard more moans in the distance headed our way.

"I have to know Val." He told me, looking guilty. "You have the gun, you can take care of yourself until I find you again-"

"This is a city, one that neither of us are familiar with at all. How do you expect to find me?" I rose my gun and shot behind him as another zombie approached. Were we really going to stand in the midst of all this and argue?

"I love you…" Edward turned from me and started to stride away from me and the zombies approaching. I was between the mob and the door, and he was going left…

I ran as fast as I could toward him and pulled him down to the ground, surprised at my own strength. I straddled him and looked up to shot the nearest zombie…

"Your not going to leave me when I just got you back. Not alone in a huge city of dead fuckers walking around. Not at all, ever! Your such an inconsiderate dickhead-"

I shot another one and it dropped to the ground ten feet from us. Then continued as if there were no interruption.

"… I cant even begin to forgive you. You drag me here, my brother and I have become experiments, we're so close to death right now that it is impossible that we are still alive…" I was yelling now, over the moans that were edging closer. I jumped off of him and pulled him up by the shirt of the scrubs he had on, then shot another one. "We are leaving right now! RIGHT NOW!!"

I pulled him toward the exit, running now. The first few doors I tried were locked shut, so I had to turn and shoot a few more times to be safe. The next door threw us out into the cold. I dragged the 'dickhead' through and then slammed the glass door shut behind us… I backed up and watched the remaining zombies press against it desperate to get to us, but obviously they didn't have the brain capacity to open the door itself. This came as a huge relief. I turned from them and looked at the scene outside. There was absolutely no one, dead or alive. But there were cars dented and flipped. Some of them weren't even touched. There were newspapers among rubble that littered the concrete on the sidewalk and the street. A few vehicles were on fire in the distance.

It was just beginning to get dark. A breeze ruffled the coat I had on, almost lifting the hems up, playing with my already messed up hair. I looked around for Edwards reaction, but he wasn't behind me. My heart dropped for a moment, until I saw him twenty feet away reading a bulletin board. I approached him feeling a bit guilty myself for going off.

"There's a map here." He told me, without looking away from the board. "A map and look at these headlines on the papers. This is horrible."

I took his hand, the one that was pointing at the most recent newspaper, and intertwined my fingers with his. We didn't look at each other, but I saw him looking down at our hands, and the corners of his lips twitching. I grabbed the map and gave it a look. The police department was a five mile walk from where we were, but a gun store was a few blocks away.

How ironic.


	11. Chapter 11

I was infuriated. Enraged. I hated every single second of every thought that kept running through my head. I didn't care about getting out of this city as much as I cared about finding out about what had happened to us. What had happened to the city itself. It all seemed to be wrapped around the same sick bastard. Whoever this Spencer person was, I itched to get my hands on him.

Valerie was obviously upset with me, despite the fact that our hands were locked together and we hadn't parted them when we began our walk. Not even when we stopped to search cars for anything that we could find. I almost laughed as I thought of the word boundaries again. Almost but not quite. She had taken it wrong when, a while back, I had asked "where are we?" I had meant to ask where we were as far as our relationship, but she had taken it a different way entirely. I still had no idea what type of status that we were claiming, but I honestly didn't care.

I couldn't even concentrate on the bliss I felt when I was with her because of this blind anger.

"There's a shotgun in that car." Val's voice broke through my thoughts, she didn't sound so happy about it.

I stepped forward and followed her line of vision and could see why. There was indeed a shotgun, but it was beside of a dead female body. I looked away quickly when a wave of nausea swam in my stomach. The girl was half naked and looked as though she had been mauled to death.

"We'll probably find some in the shop." I told her, dragging her away from the car. She looked pale. "Are you okay?""Yeah, I'm fine."

I smiled. "Fine. F-I-N-E. Freaked out, insecure, neurotic, and emotional."

"Where did you get that?"

"Dad." My heart ached when I mentioned him.

"You miss them don't you?"

"Of course I do, but not nearly as much as I would have missed you. So don't do that to yourself, you look as guilty as you would if you killed someone."

"Well technically that wouldn't be too new to me now."

"Technically." I agreed.

"Do you feel something?" She asked me suddenly, her tone changing from casual to tense. "Like someone is watching us?""Some_thing_ probably is. But… It's okay, lets just keep moving."

Our pace quickened and we didn't bother to look into anymore cars. It didn't take much longer until we were in front of the gun shop. Val and I exchanged one last glance before she reached forward to open the door. I reached out and grabbed her arm.

"You always get to open the doors, I should be the man in the relationship." I told her.

"I have the gun."

"I have the balls."

She narrowed her eyes at me. "Could you promise me that?"

I laughed full out, and she joined me. We were remembering the time that I had told her the same thing when we were fourteen, and she had the same response. Except when I had promised she gave to a straight shot to my new and improved manhood. It hadn't been too funny then, or until now in that matter.

"Shut up." She hushed me, cupping her hand around my mouth. "As I said…"

But before she could open the door herself I beat her to it and held it open for her, looking around. The place was completely empty of any life at all. Compared to the trashed environment outside and everywhere else we had been so far, it looked completely untouched, as if some warm and grizzly looking old man should be waiting behind the counter to greet us. There were guns galore along with hunting cloths, and regular sporting wear.

"This is fantastic." Valerie said as she entered and passed me. "Finally!"

We spread out and started to look at the cloths first. I settled for some blue jeans and a white t-shirt. There were some chucks in the shoe section so I slipped them on, knowing that they would be much more comfortable to run in then the boots they had to choose from. I found a sports jacket with inside pockets that would be perfect to store spare bullets in, so I put that on as well.

When I was done dressing, I looked up to see Valerie still deciding on what to wear. I rolled my eyes and walked a few steps to her, but she caught me and held up her hand.

"I'm naked back here doofus." She told me, smiling.

"So?"

"So give me time to get dressed." There was a playful edge to her voice.

I could see her bare shoulders, but everything else was covered behind a clothing rack that she was searching through. I walked to stand on the opposite side, she kept glancing at me and grinning openly. Every time she looked back to the clothing I would side step, and then when she looked back to me I paused. She rolled her eyes when she noticed I was getting closer.

Val turned from me and walked to the next rack and I caught full view of her from behind. There had to be absolutely no body fat on her at all, it was all skin, bone, and muscle. Her legs were long and slender, absolutely perfect. But her ass… that ass caught me off guard. I had seen her naked before, but never from this angle. Despite myself I closed the distance between us until I was an inch behind her. I placed my hands on her hips and traced the dimples in her lower back with my thumbs.

"Nice Edward." She said sarcastically still facing the rack.

Then she turned to me suddenly and pressed herself flush against my body, resting her hands on my shoulders. The look on her face was brand new, and I bathed in it. I could tell what she was thinking, and I wanted nothing more to fulfill her wish. I leaned down and brought my lips closer to her mouth then lingered, inhaling her glorious scent. I dodged her lips as they came up to meet mine and took a shirt off the rack.

"I like this one." I smiled down at her slyly.

She narrowed her eyes at me and snatched the gray shirt away, pulling it over her head. I couldn't help but laugh. I walked over to the jean selection and quickly picked a pair. I handed it to her still smiling. I had to get her dressed or…

Well, I just had to get her dressed.

But even that didn't seem to help. The outfit complemented her every curve and flawless figure. I watched her as she went over to the shoes and pulled a pair of boots off the shelf. Before she put them on I walked over and snatched the box out of her hand, throwing it aside. In less then a second she was in my arms, her legs wrapped around my waist. She paid me back and dodged my lips but went for my neck, kissing me so tenderly there that it was devastating. I slid my hands and wrapped them around her bottom, better to get a grip on her and walk over to the counter at the back of the shop.

I almost threw her onto the counter top and kissed her so roughly that it hurt. She pulled away and I felt her hands travel down my stomach and go for the button on my jeans. I didn't stop her. Everything in me was screaming that this was wrong. The wrong place, the wrong situation, the wrong everything. I couldn't see why it took us to be in an unknown city full of monsters that could be waiting right outside the door to get to this point. I didn't even understand why it was happening now. But in the back of my mind I justified it by thinking that this could be the last chance we got. Every second we were alive I wanted this because I was afraid that we were already dying every minute. I assume that she was thinking along the same lines, because I knew that this wasn't the normal Valerie.

She was unzipping my pants and letting them fall away to the floor. I stepped out of them and jerked her knees toward me forcing her to lay back on the counter. I took my turn and undid the pants that she had just stepped into half a minute ago. Then with one swift motion I had them off of her again. She ripped off her shirt and threw it aside and then started kissing me deeply. My jacket was gone… then my own shirt.

I couldn't bring myself to have my way with her on a counter, so I took her off of it and lay her on the floor gently. I felt my nerves heighten, I knew she wasn't, but I was still a virgin. I never felt the insane need to have sex with anyone I had dated because I knew that it wouldn't have meant anything. I thought about the time she had lost her virginity and came to me to talk about it. She cried and told me that she knew that it was a mistake but she wanted to get it over with…

"Edward," Val panted. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." I snapped out of it. "I just… well, you know."

Realization dawned on her face, and she started to slow down. She wrapped her hands around my neck and brought me down to kiss her. The kiss was soft and loving, almost breaking my heart.

"I love you." She said quietly. "I love you with all of my heart Edward Anthony Mason. When we get out of here I want to spend the rest of my life with you, even if we have to run until I'm eighteen. I'll go to the ends of the earth with you."

"I love you too."

It was lame, but it was all I could bring myself to say. I sealed it with a kiss that I threw all of my meaning and passion into. When I pulled away I looked into my best friends stunning green eyes and saw that they were hazy with lust. A jolt of hormones overwhelmed me and I realized that I was so hard now that it was painful. But I wanted to take this slow. I _had_ to take this slow.

I kissed her so softly that our lips barely touched, and then moved to her neck. I kept this up all the way down her beautiful body, feeling every inch of her with my hands. She squirmed at every touch and kiss, I was driving her crazy and I relished the fact. When I got to her stomach I slowly drug my tongue down the middle of it until I reached her hipbones. I ran my finger across her scar once again and kissed it lightly. She moaned and spread her thighs open an inch or so.

I ignored her offer for now and moved to the inside of her thighs, she whimpered and sighed. I looked up at her to give her a dark smile, and saw that she had her eyes closed and was biting her lower lip. I immediately abandoned my position and crawled back to her, kissing her lips again, this time with a hunger that I didn't know I had in me. I felt her wrap her legs around me lazily and her hands smoothly slide down my back and onto my ass, pressing me toward her, almost begging me to enter.

I felt the my tip brush against the warmth of her core. I almost lost it then and there, but held it together. A grunt escaped my lips just as a moan came from her.

"Edward, I cant take it… Don't do this to me anymore, get inside of me!" She was looking at me with a wild desperation.

I gave way to the force of her push and seized up, almost loosing it yet again. But I stopped myself and started to slowly fall into rhythm of the dance. It was beautiful, slow. I felt as if I were melting. Our breath and moans fell into an almost musical pace… But it didn't take long for the pace to quicken.

Almost in an animalistic fashion we suddenly went at each other. After a few minutes Valerie rolled me over and straddled me, taking over. I blissfully let her, my head rolling back and letting out a grunt that echoed around the empty store. I watched her, nothing in the world could have been more beautiful. The moans that escaped her brought me to the brink of my climax. I forced myself to sit up, kissing her swiftly, and then taking over once again. I gripped her hips and drove into her madly. Sweat poured from both of us and left droplets on the floor…

At the exact same moment we hit our peak. Her lower back arched off of the floor, and I felt my toes curl painfully. With one last united moan, we both collapsed weakly. I rolled off and lay beside of her, feeling as if I were floating on clouds.

A few moments of silence passed as we caught our breath. I closed my eyes and bathed in the golden feeling that I was experiencing for the first time in my life. What made it better was that my heart was swelling for Valerie. It felt as though every second that passed was a second closer to my chest busting open. If I thought that I couldn't live without her before it was absolutely nothing compared to now. I was in love with her. Completely and madly.

Before I could look over, she was turning to me and propping herself up on her elbow. I met her eyes and beamed.

"I love you." She repeated.

"I love you, too." I told her. "I love you so much. You have no idea how much."

She smiled at me and then curled against my body to cuddle close. "I think I have a pretty good idea."

I wrapped my arms around her, welcoming the heat of her body even though I was already blazing. I could care less, I wanted this to last forever. After a few minutes I started to brush her hair out of her eyes and play with the strands. I loved her hair too. I loved her face, her lips, her body, her eyes, her mind… God, I was going crazy. I wanted to be crazy!

"Mmmmmmm. That feels good." She breathed, her voice groggy.

"Does it now?" She looked up at me and I winked. "How did I do?""Really? Your really going to ask that typical question?""Every man has to know."

"Well, I'm sure that your not like every other man. Does that answer do it for you?""For now. Yeah, it'll do."

She kissed me again and then sat up. "As much as I would love for this moment to last forever, my female intuition is telling me that we have to get going."

I watched her stand, seeing her body in full view again made me feel like I had another round in me. But I was completely immobilized. "You can get started without me, I'm just going to lay here for a while."

I watched her get dressed slowly, keeping her eyes locked with mine and a small smile stuck to her beautiful face. When she was done I watched as she disappeared back to get her boots and my heart already missed her, even though I knew that she was only a few feet away. I slowly stood up and started to get dressed myself after a few minutes and after I was done I spotted Val looking through all of the weapons. I snagged another jacket similar to mine and brought it over to her.

"Bullets."

"Ah, great idea." She took the jacket and wrapped it around her waist.

At that moment the front door opened and Valerie quickly grabbed her tiny gun and aimed. I grabbed the nearest shotgun and followed suit. But no monster entered, it was a man. He had a police uniform on and appeared to be very young, in his twenties. His reddish brown hair was longer then your typical policeman cut. He spotted us and raised his own handgun.

"Don't shoot!" He told us. "My name is Leon Kennedy, I'm an officer with the R.C.P.D."

"You're a policeman?" Valerie asked cautiously. "I thought everyone evacuated.""Not quite everyone. There's at least a few other people I know about." Leon said, lowering his own gun. We copied him. "The two of you are survivors?"

"You could say that." I told him. "We aren't necessarily from here. We just happened to be crossing by, and we sort of got drug into all of this."

"Well, that's extremely unlucky." Leon said, coming to stand beside of us. "I just joined the force not too long ago. Nothing like having to fight a hoard of zombies and monsters in my rookie days. It should look good on future resumes, if I ever get out of here."

"You said you worked for the R.C.P.D?" Valerie asked.

"Yeah, the S.T.A.R.S program."

Valerie and I exchanged a quick terrified glance as he turned and looked at the weapons. "Do you know a Jill Valentine?" We asked at the same time.

He looked at us with surprise. "Yeah, you've ran into her?"

"In a mansion." I told him. "Along with Chris Redfield, Berry Burton, and… Albert Wesker."

"They're all apart of the S.T.A.R.S program as well. The mansion your speaking of must me the Arklay Mansion. That was their first assignment before the breakout spread through the city."

"Are they still alive?" Valerie asked with hope in her voice.

"I have absolutely no idea, I haven't seen or heard from them since the mansion incident. I'm partnered up with Redfield's sister Claire at the moment. She told me that she's seen signs that seem to confirm that they could still be alive. But we can't be completely sure about that."

"Where were these signs?"

"At the police station. I'm pretty sure that they returned after the mansion. All of them but Burton." Leon's head hung for a moment and his expression was far away. "It was a sad loss. He trained me before I joined, good man."

"How did Burton die?" Val asked.

"It was a self sacrifice, he saved Valentine." Leon shook his head and went back to the weapons. "So, just passing through huh? What's the story behind that?"

"We were running away from home, my brother was with us, but we sort of lost him after the mansion. I don't think that he's dead, something else must have happened. We were patients in the hospital when the evacuation happened." Valerie explained. I was surprised that she was being so honest, but there were obviously more important issues at hand.

And Leon looked trustworthy.

"How old are the two of you? And your brother?" He asked.

"We're both seventeen and Phil is a little older then eighteen. My name is Valerie, and this is Edward. To Valentine, Redfield and Wesker we went by Grant, Mandy, and Cameron."

"When I got into our hospital records they showed our real names so I'm guessing that Wesker found out who we really were. It said that Wesker was the one that brought us in." I told him.

"Wesker eh?" Leon gave us a quizzical look. "What happened to you in the mansion?""I think that we were knocked out by a type of gas. We passed out and I'm not sure what happened afterwards. I just woke up in this hospital."

"Hmmm… Wesker…"


	12. Chapter 12

I found bullets for the handgun I already had, and being fond of the little thing I decided to keep it. I put the bullets inside of the jacket pockets around my waist, along with shotgun bullets for the shot gun I had strapped to my torso. I stood back and watched Edward strap up with a machine gun and a magnum he found, along with extra bullets.

He looked extremely sexy handling the weapons, and if Leon hadn't been present I would have loved to repeat what had happened earlier. Though, if Kennedy wasn't there, I had a feeling that I would have had to restrain myself so we could make a plan to get out of here. I couldn't believe that it actually happened. We had made love… I knew I was in love with Edward, but the feeling was so strong and new that I couldn't explain it if I had tried. It went so much further then the simple word "love."

And the sex itself… Hot damn!

"The two of you can stick with me until we find a way out of here. But let me warn you, there may be times that we would have to split up. You unofficially work for the R.C.P.D for now. Do you have a map?" Leon asked us.

I back tracked around the store quickly, found the map and held it up. Leon nodded once.

"Great. I suppose that the two of you can take care of yourselves if we would have to separate?"

"No problem." Edward said, loading his machine gun with a new clip. "We're new to this place so we just need help getting out of here. The map helps but I'm guessing that you would know all of the handy shortcuts."

"I gotcha."

"Leon… I think that there is something I should tell you. It has to do with all of the S.T.A.R.S members." I said, walking back to them.

"What's that?"

"I think I know what happened to my brother…"

I quickly explained what I remembered from the hospital, and then the visions I had. I couldn't read his expression so I had no idea if he believed me or not. It wasn't until I mentioned Spencer that his eyes lit up and his brows pushed together.

"Spencer… He was a scientist for the company Umbrella." He told us, and then continued when we had no reaction to the mention of the company name. "Umbrella is what started all of this. They were experimenting on animals illegally with a virus. The T-virus. The HQ is located underground, below the Arklay mansion. That's where the outbreak hit first, after taking down the entire underground facility."

"Damn… So my brother…"

"You believe that your brother was turned into a bio weapon, and he's apart of this nemesis program?" Leon asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, and I think that his purpose is to destroy all of the S.T.A.R.S members and you guys are his main target."

"I wouldn't put it past that bastard Spencer to pull something like that."

Edward and I cursed under our breath and exchanged looks. I remembered being at Edwards house one morning and eating cereal with him on the couch. The television had been on and we were watching the stock market. Umbrella had been at the top, and Edward's father had been pleased with that.

Suddenly realization hit me. "Edward, your father."

"What about him?"

"The stock… remember when he would rejoice at the fact that Umbrella was always number one when we would watch the market with him?"

Edward narrowed his eyes at me once more. "Yeah…"

"Where did your father work?" Leon asked.

"For the government. I never really asked what he was into, he would leave home at various amount of times. But he worked from home a lot, stuck in his office late hours of the night. We used to think that he was apart of some CIA program. He was always so tense and would change the subject when I would ask what his profession was. He would tell me when I became of age he would tell me all about it. It was complicated and something that I wouldn't understand.""Last name?"

"Mason… Why? What are you thinking?""Well if he was keeping up with the stock and was satisfied with its success, it's a possibility that he may have worked for the company itself. There were operatives that worked to keep the underground facility a secret. When Umbrella began the big dogs decided that they needed security operatives. But another possibility would be that he had invested, which many people around the world invested in Umbrella. It was a smart idea at the time."

"I'm hoping it's the last option. Were the security operatives aware of the research going on below?"

"Not a chance, their job was to just stand guard and make sure that no one entered. Two of the most important security operatives actually lived inside of the mansion and pretended to pose as a married couple. But they were barely ever there at the same time, the man would leave and be away long periods of time, leaving the women there to play host. Their names were changed so they could keep their true identities secret."

"What were their stage names?" I asked.

"I really don't know. The police department really never looked into it seeing as the whole thing was very secretive."

I looked at Edward and he shrugged, then changed the subject. "So captain, what's the plan?"

"Keep your guard and follow me. If you find anything of use report it to me. Stay close." Leon told us quickly.

We left the gun shop and my heart started pounding. I would have rather stay there with Edward and ride this whole thing out in our own fashion, but seeing the abandoned street told me that there would have been no one to come and rescue us. We were lucky to even have Leon walk into the shop. Lucky that he hadn't walked in on us a few minutes before he did also. I couldn't help but smile at what had gone down on that floor. It had to have been the best thing in my life so far.

I knew what we had done was very sporadic and reckless, but I felt like we were so close to death and we probably wouldn't have had another chance. Hopefully we would get out of here and eventually start a life of our own, and the next time that it happened, there would be a bed and maybe a few candles. I looked at Edward for a moment and caught his eyes on me. I sighed and looked away, scanning the area incase something popped out randomly.

We didn't run into anything for about a mile. I didn't bother to look at the map because we decided to count on Leon while he kept us company. Then, I could see a zombie about thirty yards away, slugging around pointlessly. Leon told us not to shoot, he wouldn't be fast enough to catch up and we were going another direction completely, so there was no need to alert anymore that could be lingering out of sight.

We turned onto a street that seemed to be neater then the ones we traveled before. Well, as neat as it could be. There were still a few abandoned cars. I glanced into the windows of buildings we passed, it was too dark to see inside, but I could swear that there was movement within the majority of the time. I was just looking inside of a windows of a video store when a payphone rang close to us, I almost jumped out of my skin. We all exchanged looks.

I was closest so I ran to take it off of a hook before anything was alerted that could be close by. I planned to just leave it there but there was a voice on the other side of this line, so I slowly put it up to my ear.

"Hello?" It was a male voice, this man sounded as if he were stressed and aged.

"Who is this?" I asked. Edward was beside me by now, his eyes wide.

"We'll keep that a mystery for now. But please have no fear, I need your help. The three of you are the only ones that can help me."

"Three of us?" I looked at the other two and then around us, spooked. "How did you know-"

"There's no time to explain. I have cameras stationed around the city. I can watch your every move. Please, I have the power to get all of you out of there. But on one condition."

I finally spotted a camera on the nearest street light and looked into it. I had no idea how to take all of this. I had no idea that I could trust this stranger at all. Edward and Leon were pressing me to tell them what was going on but I held out a hand to silence them. Surprisingly, especially for Edward, they fell silent.

"How would you do that?" I asked the stranger.

"I have connections. I will be watching you and keeping tabs on where you go and what you do. I have a daughter that is still trapped within the city. She is at Raccoon City Elementary. I'm more then sure that she is absolutely terrified. You've seen what has happened. She is alive I know it. If you rescue her from the school, there will be another payphone outside of the entrance and I will see you when she is safe. I can tell you where to go from there."

"Hold on." I told the man, then turned to the others and quickly explained the offer. The two of them debated with me for only a moment and then I cut them off. "It's the closest and easiest thing that we can come to in order to get out of here quickly."

"Val, you don't even know who the hell your talking to." Edward told me. "Give me the phone. We have to get answers before we can follow through. What if it's a trap and whoever this is wants us dead."

"If we're going to get out of here we have to trust some people." Leon told us. "If this guy has camera's all around the city then he obviously has connections. He's obviously powerful."

"What if he's a scientist with Umbrella? That would explain the power and the cameras." Edward argued. "Think logically."

I scowled at him, then put the receiver back to my ear. "Still there?"

"Yes, of course." The man quickly. He was using a hushed voice now as if he were hiding the fact that he was on the phone from someone close by. "Please, the three of you are my daughters only chance, as well as mine."

"We'll do it." I told him without any consent from the others. "At the elementary school correct?" I took the map of the city from my pocket and could see that it was a few blocks away from where we were standing. "Got it, I will expect a call from you the moment we get out."

I put the phone back on the hook without saying goodbye. When I looked back at the other two Edward had an agitated look on his face and Leon had a similar look, but admiration overtook it after a few seconds.

"Look doll," Leon said. "At the moment I'm on a completely different mission then this one that just happened to spring up on us."

"I understand, but it's a little girl." I pleaded. "And a faster way out of the city. When we get the girl we can find this Claire chick that your working with and then get out of here. Do you have any way to contact her? Maybe she could meet us there?"

"I could by radio." He told us. "But we would have to get to the station first."

I looked at the map again. "It's a block or so out of the way, but we could definitely do that."

"So your in charge now huh?" Edward was giving me a worried look.

"Why don't we get started toward the station and the two of you can work it out on the way." Leon told us.

We followed him in silence for only a few moments, then it started again. "What do you mean by that?"

"I just think that you should discuss something that important with the people that are trying to help you get out of here. Or, you know, me… Who has your best interests at heart."

"Edward… We're going to save a little girl at an Elementary school. What would we find there? Maybe a few terrified kids and adults that barricaded themselves in to avoid all of this shit around them."

"Or every single one of them evacuated. The place is crawling with these things and the whole thing is a trap." He argued. "What about this Wesker guy? Even Kennedy seemed suspicious about the fact that he was the one to drop us at the hospital. What if it had been him that gassed us in the first place. He could have just handed us over to Spencer for money, or something more."

"Are we really going to do this?" I scoffed. "This overprotective shit isn't going to settle easily with me. We may be more then what we used to be, but I'm still the same Valerie, I know how to take care of myself."

A gunshot went off and we both jumped. I looked to Leon and saw him lower his gun just as the body of a zombie dropped to the floor. "Enough bickering you two, keep your guard up."

Then there was a terrifying shriek. It sounded as if it came from a nearby ally, there were footsteps. Coming fast and hard, and it sounded as if there were groups of them. I immediately grabbed Edwards wrist and clutched it tightly, gripping my handgun in the other hand and preparing for the worst. We quickly moved by Leon's side just as he steadied his gun, waiting and looking around for anything that was coming our way.

"Get ready, they're coming fast!" Leon shouted over the pounds of what sounded like a herd.

And then they were, about twenty of them pouring out of an alley to our right, possibly more. I quickly pocketed my handgun and ripped my shotgun from around me just in time to take aim and shoot two female zombies and a male zombie advancing on me at a run. They flew back from me and landed on the ground. I turned and continued to shoot away at the advancing hoard. They were coming from all sides now. From the corner of my eye I saw a few of them advancing on Edward from behind, while he was concentrating on shooting down about five in front of him. I quickly turned and shot, he jumped and looked at me and then the zombies that fell dead behind of him.

Leon had a battle knife out and was five yards away slicing at a group at the same time. I couldn't understand why he wasn't using the weapons that he got from the shop but had no time to stand there and figure it out. Just in time I turned to see a zombie lunging at me and took the butt of my gun, then throwing all of my body weight into it I slammed him square in the nose. He dropped to the floor with a sickening thud. I ran forward and grabbed the back of Edwards shirt, steering him toward Kennedy while he continued to mow down the new zombies that were stampeding our way.

"WE HAVE TO GET THE HELL OUT OF THIS!!!" I yelled over the shrieking. "FUCK FIGHTING ALL OF THEM OFF, LETS RUN LIKE HELL!!"

So we did, we abandoned the new and improved speedy zombies and booked it to the police station. I could hear Edward not even a foot behind me and I was comforted by this. But I knew not to stop or look back, I was jumping over debris and the trunks of cars, even a bench or two. Finally we could see the police station ahead. I felt Edward grab my hand and pull me forward, surprising me once again that he was capable to run as fast as he could. We pounded up a set of steps, it seemed like we were doing this so much lately. Leon was the first at the double doors and jerked one of them open.

"IN!"

We didn't hesitate to lunge inside. As soon as Leon slammed the door shut I dropped Edwards hand and backed up a little incase the hoard would burst through the doors at any moment. I watched as the two guys grabbed a long slab of wood and hinged it into the door handles, better to hold them off if the monsters used force.

Then something grabbed me and my heart jumped into my throat. I was thrown to the floor and when I got the chance I put together what was happening to me. Yet another zombie was attacking, except it had tackled me to the floor and my shotgun fell away out of reach. Its bloody mouth was aiming directly at my throat. There was a three shots, and the thing went limp, its whole weight pinning me to the floor. I shoved it off of me quickly.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!!!' I cursed over and over again, my ears were ringing from the gunshots. I felt stunned, all I could do was lay there and stare at the ceiling.

Edward hurried over and kneeled beside of me, I slowly turned my attention to him.

"Are you okay? Did it get you?" He asked, looking me over.

"I'm fine… F.I.N.E… Just fucking fine."

Edward laughed and leaned down to give me a quick kiss and then helped me up. Leon was closer to us then I expected and clapped us both on the shoulder.

"Come on, we're almost there." He told us. He turned and started walking down the hall and we followed.

"So, I'm thinking that we shouldn't argue anymore." Edward told me.

"Well, I was actually thinking about that weapon shop." I winked at him, trying to relieve him of the worried expression on his face. His eyes lit up as he smiled and he wrapped his arms around my waist as we walked. "But I guess I could agree with you, just this once."

"Val, that completely contradicts what I just said."

"I like it when your angry… it's sort of a turn on." I whispered.

Edward's expression shifted suddenly, apprehensive now. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"I wish that I could have actually planned all of this carefully. We shouldn't have left home in such a hurry. We wouldn't be in this situation and I could have given you… so much more…"

"What are you talking about? This is great!" I told him animatedly. "You know me. I love being scared to death, it's a thrill. This is the greatest adventure of our lives, with the challenge of staying alive. What more could I want?"

Edward looked at me with uncertainty. Then we fell quiet when Leon found the room that he was looking for. I was relieved. Comforting Edward was always hard for me. Well, in that matter, comforting anyone. I wish that I could, I had just been born without that skill. Maybe it was the fact that there wasn't a single moment in my life that I could remember my parents comforting me. Edward's parents had tried when I 'came into the family' but I always pushed anyone who tried away, turning the situation into something humorous. That was what I was best at.

We entered the room and I looked around and could see four desks lined up against the far wall. I assumed that this is where the officers worked at their desks and wrote their reports. To the right of the room there was a huge machine with a radio that Leon was making his way to now. Papers were scattered on the floor and I walked over them to search the desks incase there was something handy that we could use.

"Oh…" I gasped. The first desk I went to search there was a nameplate that read 'Jill Valentine.'

The others had name plates as well… These desks belonged to the four people we had met in the mansion. Jill at the far left corner. Then Chris, Berry, and Wesker. This must have been the S.T.A.R.S team. Edward was searching the last thoroughly. I looked through Jill's desk. Nothing was out of place beside the scattered papers on the floor, so the room itself looked lively. Anxiety gripped my chest when I looked over to Benson's desk. It was completely cleared out, only the name plate remaining.

There were similar pictures on both Jill and Chris's desks. It was a picture of the two of them accepting an award together. Another one was of the two of them in front of a police curser, in uniform and with their arms around each other. I smiled, they must be partners. There was a note on Chris's desk to his sister under yet another picture of someone I didn't recognize. The girl in it had red hair pulled back in a ponytail and had a sundress on. She was smiling a gorgeous smile and waving at the camera in front of a bust of beautiful lavender flowers. That must have been her, Claire Redfield.

I didn't read the letter because I figured that it may have been something personal. So I pocketed it, saving it so I could hand it over when I saw her.


	13. Chapter 13

I glanced up in time to see Val put something in her pocket. I was going to ask, but I decided it could wait. I opened the final drawer in Wesker's desk. I just couldn't scratch the feeling that Wesker was shady, and when I could see that Leon seemed bemused when I mentioned that Wesker was the one that dropped us at the hospital, my suspicions heightened.

There was absolutely nothing in his desk that gave me any answers. The desk itself was neater and more organized, but then again it had the least amount of paper then the others. Well, sadly not counting Burton. I was about to give up when something caught my eye. Underneath the desk out of reach there was a police badge. It must have fell off of Wesker's desk. I looked over Kennedy and noticed that he still had his badge on. Had Wesker quit the force and left his badge at the office?

"Claire? Come in… Do you read?" Leon was at the radio. He finally programmed it and got it to follow through. "Claire?"

There was static, and Val and I glanced at each other…

Then. "Leon! Boy am I glad to hear from you." A female voice rang through the speaker.

"Claire, how are you holding up?"

"I'm wounded. But I found a safe place and this herb… Leon, the green herbs! They help with wounds. It's almost unbelievable. You have to chew them up first until they turn into paste, you cant swallow them. But when you spread it on your wound it takes only a couple of minutes for it to close and regenerate. Its almost as if…"

Claire's voice faded and the static started up again. Leon turned a few knobs and like tuning a radio her voice came in clear again.

"… mutation. I don't think that it would fully cure the virus, but it's a stand- in antidote."

"That's good news. Where do you find them?" Chris said, acting as if there had been no interruption.

"Anywhere! I think that umbrella planted them randomly around the city for their benefit. They had to have known that this would happen, and if they got trapped in the end and needed to heal up, they would use the herb. Anyone who didn't work for umbrella would have thought that it was just a unique plant in the corner or whatnot. Go figure."

Valerie and I laughed along with Leon. This Claire chick seemed cool enough.

"Who is that with you?" She asked.

Leon filled her in, summing up everything. He told her about the offer that we had received on a payphone from the stranger. He asked her what she thought of the situation.

"I got the call as well." She said, in a subtle voice now. "I was headed there when I was sidetracked. Leon, you have to hear about this. I'll meet you when you get there, but I'm not going to linger outside and wait. I'll be just inside of the front doors."

"Got you, see you then. Be safe."

"You too."

The connection died. Leon looked at the two of us and nodded. "I guess we're going to that school."

"So, you guys don't think that it could be a set up?" I asked cautiously.

"It cant be, not if he's reaching out to anyone that could help." Valerie told me before Leon could state his opinion. I looked at him quizzically.

"I think she's right." He agreed. "Lets go."

"Wait." Val grabbed his shoulder and for some reason a pang of jealousy hit me. I shook it off. "We aren't going out the same way we came are we? Those zombies are probably still out there."

"I'm a step ahead of you sugar. Just follow me."

We filed out after him and I caught up with Val in two strides. I ran my left hand down her arm and took her hand. She looked up at me puzzled. I just smiled at her. Why was I acting so possessive, I had never done it before. Val never really had many boyfriends, well not compared to the girls that attended our school at least. She had always become board with the guy, and then became board with dating altogether. But when I saw her with another guy I never felt this way.

But then again, I wasn't in love with her before. She wasn't mine to claim.

I dropped her hand and held my machine gun with both of mine instead. I didn't want to look at her right now… Even if I was in love with her I didn't want things to be this way. I couldn't help my feelings but I could control my actions. I wasn't going to be "that type" of guy.

Leon led us through corridor after corridor, the place now turning into a maze. I knew that we would have never made it through here without Leon. We finally reached a hallway that led to the back door exit. We walked forward cautiously, Leon paused to look at a map that was nailed to the back wall. Valerie walked to the door to peak out of the small window, but before she got to it she slipped. If it hadn't been for her natural elegance then I was sure she would have fell. Anyone else would have.

I watched as she backed up to the wall, and then looked up to the ceiling. There was something dripping from the spot she was looking at and I followed the line of liquid… and froze. My breath caught in my throat.

"What the-" My voice startled it…

_It _was… well I wasn't sure what the hell it was. It scattered a few yards away, sticking to the ceiling, back where we had just come. It looked human, but not. It had no skin and where fingers should have been were elongated claws. It's flesh was a raw red, as if it had been burned badly.

Before I could say anything, _it_ dropped to the floor. I couldn't decide if it were turning to us slowly or if my mind was taking everything in that way. Then, terrifying me more then I thought was already possible, it opened its mouth. Fangs, every single tooth pointed and lethal looking. It growled and I backed away closer to the other two.

The series of events that happened next were so fast that it was impossible to keep up with it all. Something shot out of the things mouth and was wrapping around my body. I heard Valerie scream my name, and then I was jerked off of my feet falling to the floor. The last thing I saw was the other two raise their guns, but then hesitate. I was being dragged toward the monster, sliding across the floor.

Rapidly.

"Shoot it DAMNIT!" I finally managed to yell.

Leon started to unload on the thing, but whatever was holding me didn't loosen. Then, Val started to run forward bravely, holding her shotgun steadily in her hands. She halted only a couple of feet away and started to shoot. I squeezed my eyes shut, it was a shotgun after all, one inch off target and I was dead. But then, the hold on me loosened.

I opened my eyes and wiggled the rest of the way out of the bind, jumping up, grabbing Val, and practically running from where the dead creature was. When we were back to the door I let go of her and bent over, attempting to catch my breath and my head.

"Holy shit! What the hell was that thing?" I snapped. "What the fuck is going on in this hell hole of a city? Who would come here, really? Who the hell would live here?"

"Your hurt." Val's voice told me from above.

I straightened up and looked at her, she was looking at my forearms. I looked at them as well and saw that where the fucker had gripped me there were shallow gashes through the sleeves of my jacket that had reached my skin.

"It was it's tongue that got you." She told me. "Like some super frog or something."

"How are you feeling?" Leon asked me.

"I'm fine. It barely hurts, I'll live." I told them both, noticing that my voice became soft to reassure Val.

"When we get to the school, I'm sure that Claire will have that herb she was telling us about. We'll make sure you spread some over those cuts."

"Well, lets get going then." I said. "I don't want to be here if another one of those come patting along on the damn ceiling."

Valerie wouldn't stop looking at me, but Leon agreed and opened the back door. I was getting more and more frustrated with the situation that we were stuck in that I was almost praying for a fight. Perfect. There were four zombies that were walking sluggishly, they hadn't spotted us yet. Recklessly I took aim with my machine gun and mowed the fuckers down. Val grabbed my arm after they dropped dead and despite my better judgment I looked down at her.

"Are you okay?" She asked in a soft voice.

I felt my expression lighten and a reassuring smile mold my features. I wasn't okay, but this routine was starting to become habit. I was glad that it didn't look forced. I wasn't okay because her life was in danger. I wasn't okay because it was my fault. I wasn't okay because I had no idea what had happened to her and how it would effect her in the long run. I wasn't okay, because there was no sign or answer to what had happened to me. And Phil. Phil was gone. Phil was a monster now.

When Val had told me about what she saw in her vision, her expression had broke my heart. It was too… accepting. There was no grief there, as if she knew that it would happen all along. The same held true with what happened to her. There was no query in her voice when she told me what had occurred while I was happily sedated in my own room.

"Edward." I looked back down and Valerie looked worried. "I love you."

"I love you, too." I told her, leaning down to give her a quick kiss on the cheek.

The trip to the school went by faster then I expected. We ran into barely any complications, the most difficult thing that we faced was running into a few dead ends and having to take a different route. Including your occasional mess of zombies here and there. Nothing we couldn't handle together. Leon led the way, Val kept guard in the middle, and I watched our backs. Finally, we arrived.

"What is that?" Valerie asked, pointing to a pile of broken cages. "What the hell is that?"

"Val, they're cages." I told her.

"But look closer. It looks like something clawed its way out."

"That's a Dog Catcher's van." Leon told us. "We might want to be a little more careful now and keep a closer lookout on everything around us. Expect the worst."

"What could get worst?" I said sarcastically.

Cautiously we made our way toward the entrance. Valerie getting closer to the cages to examine them for a second. I grabbed her and dragged her with us, not comfortable with her being more then a few feet away from me. Leon opened the front double doors and aimed his gun to do a quick sweep of the place. He motioned us in and we obeyed. I looked around, it was dark and I could only see small sections of light coming from the windows around the entrance hall. When the front doors closed behind Leon, the little light that was flowing in from them disappeared, leaving us in the dark.

I saw a figure come out of a room somewhere to the far left of the hall, I automatically aimed my gun at it.

"Don't shoot, it's just Claire." Leon told me. A dim light clicked on and I looked over to see Val holding out her lighter.

I couldn't help but genuinely smile as she lit a cigarette and hand it to me, and then lit one of her own. But, she didn't put the lighter away after she was finished, using it as a source of light. I took a drag from my cigarette and looked over to the women that was walking toward us with a smile on her face.

She had red hair that was pinned back in a ponytail and feathery bangs that hid her eyes until she swept them aside. She was wearing a red vest over a black long sleeved shirt that didn't cover her stomach. She had black fingerless gloves on that reminded me of what a biker would wear. She was wearing boot cut jeans with timberlines covering her feet.

Were all of the women in this city badass?

"That stuff will kill you." She told us when she stopped in front of us, pointing to our cigarettes.

"Ah, your right." I said, smiling at her and then looking down at the smoke. "I guess this is more of a danger then what we're facing in this damn place."

"Touché good sir." She bowed her head. "Leon, how are you holding up?"

"As good as it gets, and you?"

"Same. Who are these two lovely people? They're younger then I thought they would be." She smiled at us warmly.

"I'm Valerie Pagan. I actually have something to give you that I found in the police station." Val said, pulling what I saw her stow in her pocket earlier out. "Chris Redfield is her brother right?"

Claire's face lightened up. "Yes." She breathed.

"I found this on his desk under a picture of you."

Valerie handed a folded slip of paper over. I watched Claire's expression as she opened up the sheet and quickly read whatever was written. When she was done, through the dim light of the flame I could see tears in her eyes. She beamed at Valerie and without notice took three steps over to her and gave her a hug.

"Thank you." She told Val kindly. "This means a lot. Isn't he the best?"

"Who? Your brother?" Val asked. Her face was red and she was mumbling. Valerie was never good at dealing with affection from a stranger, or anyone that she hadn't known for a while. "I didn't really read it, I thought that it would be personal."

Claire smiled at her and thanked her again and then turned to me. "What's your name?"

"Edward Mason." I told her, holding out my hand and shaking hers. "It's nice to see someone else that isn't stumbling around and moaning. Or… crawling on ceilings or anything."

Claire giggled. "I'm guessing your referring to the lickers?"

"Is that what they're called?" My voice was full of revulsion.

"Yes, very original huh? How old are the two of you?"

"Seventeen." Val and I said together.

"Well, lets get you out of here so you both can get to eighteen shall we?"

"We were hoping that you had some of that herb you were telling us about over the radio." Leon spoke up. "That licker got Edward pretty good."

"Oh!" Claire reached in her pocket and pulled out some leaves. "Here they are. Where are your wounds?"

I took my jacket off to show her. "The bastard got me with its tongue."

"Well, you have to chew these. They aren't very appetizing, but if you can get past the taste its worth it." Claire handed them over.

Valerie grabbed my hand and left the other two to come up with a plan. She led me to a nearby bench and took the leaves from me, tearing them apart so it was easier to chew.

"Here, hold this." She handed me the lighter. "I'll do this, you wont be able to reach all of the wound."

She hesitated, looking at the leaves and bringing them up to her nose to smell them. I watched as she closed her eyes and crinkled her nose and then stuffed the flakes into her mouth. I tried not to laugh at her when a look of strong distaste came to her face. Her eyes stayed closed in concentration, and then she opened them, held out her left hand, and spit the stuff into it.

"Ew!" I half laughed. "That's disgusting."

"You didn't have to chew it." She told me, complaining. "That's a paste right?"

"I guess."

She rubbed it between her fingers, feeling its texture. "Yeah, that's a paste. Hold still."

"I don't want your spit on my arm." I teased, extending my left arm out first.

"Shut up."

As she spread the medicine, I couldn't take my eyes off of her. She was so beautiful! Her green eyes intent on what she was doing. To my surprise I could feel myself get hard for her. She was so close, and her gentle touch was what had inspired it. When she was finished with my left arm, she went to work on the right one. I stopped her, dropping the lighter in my lap and catching her face in both of my hands. I brought her lips up to mine and kissed her once. Twice. Three times. She started to get into it, and then stopped herself.

"Stop it. I've got to do this." She batted me away playfully.

"I'm sorry." I told her without any feeling behind it, clicking the flame back to life.

She looked at me and her eyes narrowed. "No your not… Well, you shouldn't be."

I sighed and let her get back to what she was doing. I continued to watch and my lips began to tingle, literally. I ran my tongue across them, wanting to taste Val's lips again. But the taste was horrible. I grimaced and then coughed, she looked up at me.

"What?"

"That stuff does taste horrible."

"I told you. Jerk." She laughed. "I'm glad that we could experience that together."

"I don't mind. I'd still kiss you if you ate poo."

"That's really gross Edward. You would not."

"I know, I was trying to make you feel better."

"Good job." She finished spreading the herb and then brought her face closer to mine.

I dropped the lighter again, this time to the floor, and leaned to meet her lips. But she licked me. The tip of her tongue running from my chin up to the tip of my nose. I could smell it now and it was almost worst then vomit. I held back a gag. "What the hell?"

Valerie was laughing and every other feeling but joy escaped me. I hadn't heard her truly laugh since the first night we had left home and she had twirled around in that clearing. I let the beautiful sound of her voice wave over me and joined in. The power that she had over me had to be unhealthy, but I didn't care. I was absolutely in love.

"Hello lovebirds. How's it going?"

We looked up and saw Claire smiling down at us. "It's good. Sorry, we'll try to be more quiet."

"No no, its great to hear someone laughing. I didn't think that I would ever hear it again." She told us. "I just wanted to say that, for a faster heal, you must stay completely still so the medicine can travel through your bloodstream quickly. How do you feel?"

"Great." I told her. "Thanks."

She went back to join Leon again and they put their heads together and started talking. I looked back at Val and my body tensed up. Her eyes were full of the hazy lust I saw back in the gun shop. I felt as if there were a force that was dragging me to her, like we were human magnets. She stood up and sat back down in my lap, and I shifted so she wouldn't feel what was going on there.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked her as usual.

"You know what I'm thinking about." She said in her sexy misty voice.

"Do I-"

Val shut my mouth with hers, and pass the taste of the herb I was completely wrapped in her. The taste fell away, turning into something beautiful that I couldn't put a name on. I inhaled deeply through my nose and slowly wrapped my arms around her. She wouldn't let me, pulling them off and placing them back at my side. She pinned me there and kissed me harder. I was dying, this was torture. But I didn't fight against it. I would get her back later, the thought bringing on a smile. A tiny whimper escaped Val's beautiful lips and sent a small vibration across my tongue. I bit her lip, forgetting about the wound that had sealed itself up.

I tasted her blood, and the familiar volt went through me. Was I really getting turned on by the taste of her blood? That was…

She pulled away and licked her lips. "Damn." She whispered, pressing the cuff of her jacket sleeve against her bottom lip. "Good one."

"Sorry-"

"Oh no no… Don't be sorry. That was amazing." She told me earnestly. "I actually like it when you do that."

"Do you?" I winked at her.

"Edward! Look at your arms!"

I looked down at them and was surprised. They were completely healed, not even a scar left in its place. It was as if the 'licker' incident never happened at all.

"Well, that's useful." I smiled up at her.

Val did a quick sweep across my skin where the wounds used to be with the tip of her fingers and smiled widely. We stood afterward and made our way to the other two, who turned when our footsteps grew closer.


	14. Chapter 14

"**We'll have to split up." Leon told us when we stopped beside of them. "Time is against us and it'll be a faster way to find this girl."**

"**Her name is Alexia." Claire told us. "Alexia Ashford."**

"**He never told me her name before." I said, realizing it for the first time. "How did you know?""He told me." Claire said. "I think he knew that Leon and I were working together, and that we would end up meeting here. The more people attempting to save his daughter the better. It's clever if you ask me."**

**I nodded. "So, where should Edward and I look first."**

**Leon and Claire exchanged a quick glance. **

"**Actually, that was something that we were going to ask the two of you about." Leon said hesitantly, but had an edge of authority behind it. "Claire and I were speaking, and for your safety we think that I should take you and Claire should partner up with Edward until we find her-"**

"**No." Edward cut him off. "We're completely capable of taking care of ourselves."**

"**Edward." Claire said his name gently. "We have to trust each other and work together if we are going to get out of here. Leon will take good care of Valerie, I promise. We're doing this because the two of you could easily get lost in this place and that could be dangerous."**

"**Then give us a map." Edward demanded. "We've made our way out of a hospital that has to be four times bigger then this school." **

"**There is no map." Leon said harshly. "You work with us, or find your own way out of the city."**

**Edward opened his mouth again, but I stopped him by putting my hand on his shoulder. "Baby," I said for the first time, shocking myself. "I think that we should listen to them. We have no other option, and you know that I can take care of myself."**

"**Valerie-"**

"**No Edward… Listen, it will be fine. Trust me okay?"**

**I didn't feel any better about this then he did, his expression matched my emotion. But I had a feeling that this would be faster and more safe. They were right, we could easily get lost in the building, especially with the low lighting. He didn't respond.**

"**Trust me." I repeated.**

**Slowly, very slowly, he nodded. Then turned to Leon and his hazel brown eyes burned as he looked into the mans face. Leon seemed to understand what Edward had meant with that look and nodded at him once. Then turned to me, waiting. **

"**I love you." I told Edward quickly, standing on the tip of my toes to kiss him.**

"**I love you, too." He told me. **

"**When one of us finds the girl we will come back here and wait." Leon said. "No one leave until everyone is present, and then we'll get to that payphone."**

**We all nodded in agreement and then sooner then I wanted to I was following Leon away from Edward and Claire. We went down the hall and took a left, I glanced back at Edward before we disappeared around the corner. He was looking at me and they were moving to a room on the right. I blew him a kiss, and then he was gone. **

**I sighed and gripped my shotgun instead of carrying my small handgun around. I felt more secure this way. Leon didn't speak at all as he led the way down yet another hall that was lined with windows. Then, we entered a cafeteria. There were at least ten zombies just standing around, looking as if they were too weak to move. I aimed my gun at the nearest one but Leon put his hand on the barrel to stop me from shooting. **

"**We can make it around them, they're probably slow." He leaned closer to me and whispered. I nodded. **

**We took the longest way around the room, keeping our backs to the wall and watching the bodies that we were passing. None of them moved, turned our way, or even slugged around. It seemed like it took an hour to get to the far door. I couldn't tell if it was because we were going slow and being extremely quiet, or if it was the fact that Edward wasn't there. Leon opened the door that led to the kitchen and I followed him in.**

**When the door swung closed behind us we both looked around. There were dirty pots and pans on the ovens. I had to pinch my nose to block out the atrocious smell of rotting food, I looked over to Leon and saw that his nose was scrunched up and he was scanning the place with his eyes. Wow, he was handsome. I felt guilty for noticing, but I couldn't help it. I guess in Edwards absence it was easier to consider other people around me, which was nearly impossible when he was around. There was absolutely no comparison then. **

**I heard something crash near the back of the kitchen, snapping me out of my trance. Leon and I exchanged a quick look, he looked at me quizzically and I nodded. We headed in the direction of the noise. When we finally found the cause my question about what I had seen beside of the dog catcher van was answered. An involuntary gasp escaped me. There were dogs eating away at the corpse of what looked like a kid. A little boy. **

**Without consent from Leon, I aimed my shotgun and blew the first one away. The other three snapped their heads in my direction and then Leon began to shoot. They leaped at us and I went crazy with my weapon, unloading on them. The one I had shot to begin with was getting up slowly. I was out of bullets before they were down, and I took the butt of my gun and started to bash them in the head. Leon was reloading as I held them back, and then I felt him jerk me away, almost pushing me behind him and then resume shooting. **

**This pissed me off. As if I needed protection. I could feel an insane adrenaline rush flow through me and my brain was hatching an idea. I dodged Leon and ran down another isle in the kitchen. I reached behind the stoves and ripped the gas pumps from the wall, instantly smelling fumes. When I was done I ran back to Leon and I was the one dragging him away as he shot. **

"**What's that smell?" He yelled over the violent snares of the dogs. "Is that gas?"**

"**Yes, get the fuck back!" I drug him through a new door that was to the far left of the kitchen. "Cover me!"**

**I took my lighter and lit a cigarette quickly. I took one drag to get it burning, and then flicked the thing just inside of the door we had come from. Leon did a fair job with holding the dogs back in the kitchen, so when the small spark ignited the place the dogs blew up along with the entire room. Leon and I leaped away from the projecting flames coming out of the door, and landed on the floor beside of each other. **

**We stayed down and the explosion was still ringing in my ears. When the fire calmed I pulled myself off of the floor, noticing that we had landed in a pool of blood. I looked around to see where we were as Leon jumped up as well. We were standing in yet another hall and zombies were walking forward to us. I took the time to glance at them and then took out my handgun and we shot them down, they had been the teachers and staff here. I thought of the boy back in the kitchen and anxiety hit me. What if this girl wasn't alive? **

**We would be stuck here until we found our own way out.**

**I immediately felt guilty for thinking that way. I knew that saving the kid should be my number one concern right now, but I couldn't bring myself to do that. If we did find the kid and she was dead it would cause more heart ach. Also, as always, I was naturally a selfish person. At least, that's what I thought. Edward would say differently of course, but he had always been blind to my selfish acts. God, I missed him so much already.**

"**Your brilliant." Leon told me. "That could have ended badly back there." **

**I shrugged. "We have to work together remember? I'm not just someone that you need to baby sit. If I'm going to do this with you then you have to trust me to take care of myself and treat me as a partner." **

"**Agreed." Leon told me. "I apologize for underestimating you. Your boyfriend-"**

"**He knows that I can take care of myself." I interrupted, not wanting to talk about Edward at the moment because I knew my anxiety would flair up. "He doesn't underestimate me, he's just… overprotective. He's always been that way, even when we were kids. So don't feel any obligation toward protecting me for him, its ridicules."**

**He nodded and smiled, then turned and led the way down the dark hall. I took shotgun bullets out of the jacket pockets around my waist and loaded up. We tried door after door and they were either boarded shut or locked from the opposite side. It reminded me of the mansion. I thought about Phil and then tried to push it out of my mind. My brother was… possibly… a monster. A nemesis. I felt tears come to my eyes. In the end I would have to fight him. One of us would have to die… What would I do?**

"**This one!" Leon exclaimed, snapping me yet again from my musing. He was standing beside of a classroom door, his hand waiting on the handle. **

"**Lets do it." I said when I stopped beside of him. **

**He opened the door slowly, peaking inside before I had the chance to see anything. I studied his expression and saw surprise there. Then he swung the door open and I could see what the cause of his surprise was. There was a little girl, sitting in the middle of the room with her back facing us. She looked like a mess, her hair was matted and tangled, and her cloths were torn. I stepped forward and slowly walked to her. This was it.**

"**Alexia?" I put my hand on her shoulder gently. **

**The girl slowly turned her head to look at me, and I snatched my hand away and took a few steps back. The kid had a grown human foot and was eating it, her mouth covered in clotted blood. She whined and then an earsplitting screech exploded from her mouth. I gripped my shotgun and backed into a corner, Leon following me. **

**Then there were more. Kids appearing from behind play centers, shelves and desks. All zombies. All of them looking at us with monstrous hunger. They all were growling, like a puppy would, and I could feel my heart breaking. I was aiming my gun, but I couldn't do it. I couldn't shoot. **

"**Shoot them!" I demanded of Leon. "Shoot them in the head." **

"**I…" Leon hesitated, shaking his head, a guilty expression on his face. "Shit!"**

**And he did it. He shot all of them, the bodies dropping like stone to the floor. They didn't put up much of a fight because they seemed as if they were all weak. I tried to convince myself that we were putting them out of their misery. But when the last kid hit the floor and silence fell, more eerie then ever before, I felt tears falling down my cheeks. I pressed my back to the wall and slid down, allowing myself to fall and become weak for once. This was crossing so many lines.**

"**Valerie." Leon's voice was far off and sounded weak in my ears. He kneeled beside of me and put a hand on my shoulder. "I had to, you know I had to." **

**I nodded and felt the tears fall from my face onto my hands in my lap. But I couldn't pull myself together as quickly as I wanted to. **

"**Are you okay?" Leon asked, his voice full of genuine concern and sorrow. **

**I shook my head and then stopped myself. Clearing my throat I wiped the tears away forcefully and tried to stand with no success. I allowed Leon to help me up and then brushed his hands away when they lingered to make sure that I wouldn't collapse again. **

**Then something caught my eye. Something was moving behind the teachers desk in the corner. The alarm on my face must have startled my partner, because he aimed at where my line of sight was settled. **

"**No…" I told him. I walked toward the movement. "Alexia? Is that you?"**

"**I'm not a monster." A small voice came from behind the desk. "Please, don't shoot me, I'm alive." **

"**We wont shoot you." I assured the voice. "Come out. We can get you out of here." **

**Finally! Finally I could hear shuffling and the kid stood up and moved into our line of vision. She was adorable, wearing a school uniform, curly brown hair reached all the way down to her middle back and big brown eyes looked at us. Worried, afraid, hurt. I looked down at Alexia Ashford and held my hand out, welcoming her with as much warmth I could muster up. She hesitated and then unwillingly walked forward to me, but kept her hands to herself. **

**I leaned down and looked her over to make sure that she hadn't been attacked. I was surprised to see her completely unscathed. The ends of her skirt were shredded here and there and the knee socks she wore had a few frayed holes in them. She carried a lunch box and I wondered what was in it, but decided not to ask. Prying would only make her more hesitant. **

"**Alexia, my name is Valerie." I told her sweetly. "This man beside of me is Leon. We're here to rescue you." **

"**Why?" She asked, as if she knew that she would die here and there was no hope of escape. As if she didn't expect such gratitude. **

"**Because your father wanted us to." Leon said, I noticed that his voice hadn't changed as mine had when he spoke to her. But it was gentle, like the one that he used with me, none the less. "We got a call from him. He's just outside of the city waiting for you. We're going to leave now and wait for another call telling us how to get out of here safely so you can be with him again." **

"**You know my father?" She asked with surprise. "Is he in trouble?" **

"**Why would your father be in trouble?" I asked her.**

"**Are you the police?"**

**I looked at Leon and he answered. "Yes, we're S.T.A.R.S members." **

"**What does that stand for?" **

"**Special tactics and reinforcement specialists." Leon told her, looking at me as he spoke. His expression was as confused as I felt. I knew he was thinking about what she said about her father.**

"**Why don't we get out of here." I told Alexia. "Are you ready?"**

**She nodded slowly, and then looked at Leon with a timid expression. Then back at me. "Your not the police." She stated.**

"**No, I'm not the police." I told her. "But I want to help you just like a police person would." **

**She thought about that and then smiled a smile that didn't reach her eyes. **

"**Alexia." Leon said, this time leaning down like I had. "Can you do me a favor?" When she didn't respond he continued. "Can you hold onto Valerie's belt loop on her pants? I don't want you to let go of it no matter what okay? We don't need you to get separated from us." **

**She still didn't respond to Leon, but when I stood and pulled down the jacket around my waist and offered my belt loop to her she wrapped her tiny middle finger around it tightly. "Are you ready?" I asked again.**

**She nodded and Leon and I led her out of the classroom that she had probably spent all this time trapped inside of. **


	15. Chapter 15

It seemed like hours had passed since I had last seen Valerie walk around that corner. When I had heard an explosion not long afterwards after a series of gunshots I almost turned to go after her. But to my dismay Claire stopped me. She told me not to leave her and assured me that the other two were okay. 'There are always explosions happening through the city,' she had said. 'It was probably a car outside, and the gunshots were theirs, fighting off zombies.'

We had run into our share of zombies as well, not counting a few dogs similar to the ones I had seen so long ago chasing Jill, Chris, and the crew across the yard of the mansion. I was low on ammo and lucky enough to find some in an office that I pocketed quickly. I felt asphyxiated, every step I took felt like I was walking a mile from where I wanted to be. At Val's side, knowing that she was safe with me. I trusted Leon, I knew that he would take care of her, but I was going crazy.

"You alright?" Claire asked me cautiously.

I felt bad, my temper had been out of hand and I had taken it out on her at times. "I'm sorry. I'm just worried about Val."

"I know." She said, nodding. "She'll be fine, I know that wont sooth you. But you have to have faith or your going to loose your mind in this place."

I nodded. "Thanks."

We were searching another room again when I heard what sounded like a door bust open and then a window shatter. Claire and I exchanged glances for a moment and then ran outside into the hall to see what was going on. For a moment the hall was empty, and then to our left someone was running toward us. The two of us aimed our guns, and then realizing at the same moment that it was someone alive lowered them.

"Jill!" Claire yelled.

My eyes widened in realization as Jill Valentine spotted us and started running forward, terror on her face. "GO! GET IN THAT ROOM!" She bellowed.

We dodged back into the room we just left and she followed. Before I could see what she was running from she slammed the door, locked it and ordered us to help her barricade the door with the biggest objects we could find. I ended up helping the two of them move the huge desk in front of the door along with a bookshelf.

When we were done Jill turned to us. "It wont hold off long, we have to get the hell out of here now!"

"Wait!" I told her. She looked at me and surprise covered the panic on her face.

"Your alive?" She finally asked, looking me up and down as if she could believe it. "Your alive and you're here?"

"Yes." I told her. "So is Valerie. She's with Leon Kennedy."

"Kennedy's here as well?" She was surprised with that too. "Why? What are you all doing here?"

Claire explained and I over looked Jill. She was in a different attire from the last time I had seen her. She was wearing a light blue halter top that was skin tight with a black skirt, just as binding. Her gun holster was strapped to her upper thigh and black leather combat boots reached up to her knees. I imagined Valerie in this outfit, their bodies were almost similar so it was easy. The thought resulted in yet another hormone rush, then it was tainted by guilt. It was Valerie that I imagined but Jill I was looking at after all.

"We have to get out of here." Jill told us again. "We have to get that thing out there away from them so they'll be safe. If they have that little girl…"

"We cant just leave them." I told her, angry now.

"That thing seems like its attached to my hip." Jill assured me. "It will follow us out of here and then we will get to a place where we can contact the others."

"What _thing_?"

There was a huge slam against the door that we had blocked off. We all jumped and gripped our weapons a little bit tighter.

"It's the Nemesis." Jill breathed. I felt my eyes widen and looked at Claire and saw her matching expression. "Edward… If we don't lead it away…"

I felt my jaw tighten and looked at the two of them, contemplative. I knew that this was a no-brainer. "How?"

Jill looked at me with relief. "That window!" There was another slam. "It'll get through the door and see that we got out there and follow. I think it can sense me… I think its after all S.T.A.R.S members."

Without hesitation I took the chair that was behind the desk and smashed it through the window, then used the legs to remove the excess glass. I threw it aside and looked back at the other two and motioned for them to get out. They quickly made their jump, we were on the first floor and I was grateful for that when I leaped out myself.

When I landed on the ground I heard a massive exploding sound and knew that "Nemesis" had gotten through our barricade. I didn't waist time looking back to see what he looked like. I didn't want to. I knew what the nemesis really was. Who he was. I didn't want to see my other best friend the way he was now. So violent and unaware of who he was chasing and trying to kill.

We ran full out, not stopping to look at how close he was. My heart ached because I knew that the further we ran was the further I was away from Val. But I knew I had to do this to keep her as safe as she was now, there couldn't be anything in the city more terrifying then what was behind us. At least, that's what I told myself to keep me going.

"He's gone!" Jill yelled over the pounding of our feet, and I could see her starting to slow down beside me. "We lost him."

I stopped and just as Claire did and looked behind us. There was nothing there, but my heart was still racing as if we were still being pursued. I took a few moments to catch my breath then turned to Jill. "What if he goes back?"

"He wont. He has no idea that the other two are in the school." She looked at a building nearby and sighed with relief. "I think that we should go in here and try a radio."

I looked at the sign near the building and saw that she was talking about the Raccoon City town hall. Claire and I agreed and began to walk toward it… There were footsteps advancing behind us and we turned and aimed our guns in unison. But it was just a man dressed in a police uniform similar to Leon's.

"Brad!" Jill exclaimed.

"Jill!" The man named Brad yelled back in panic. "Jill! You have to get out of here! You have to-"

Then the motive behind his panic was clear as a monster rounded the corner. I watched, terrified, as it walked toward Brad. A menacing growl coming from it. I knew once I saw him that it was Phil. Or, what Phil had become. This was the nemesis that we were running from, and this is what Val had seen in her vision. Before I could even stop to consider my next action the mutated monster which was once my best friend stalked forward and grabbed Brad around the throat.

"Brad!" Jill screamed. With one swift movement the tentacle that was once an arm stabbed through the middle of Brad's torso. "No!" Jill breathed in shock.

A gruesome noise came from Brad, and then the monster threw him to the floor. Looking at us cruelly.

"STARS!" It growled when it saw Jill.

I looked over and could see her frozen, looking down at her deceased friend. I couldn't imagine, or had time to imagine, the pain that she felt right now. I felt sorry for her, but I needed to get the two of them inside. I grabbed Claire and made her help me drag Jill away, running full force toward the town hall building. Claire and I ripped yet another set of double doors open and I wrapped my left arm around Jill to force her inside.

I locked the doors once on the inside and was happy to see that all the windows were boarded. At least it would hold him back if we needed a quick escape to a room nearby. But I knew that we couldn't run forever, we would have to fight it of eventually. I turned and looked around the huge room that we were in. There was a fountain in the middle of it, which Jill was now sitting on and rubbing her temples.

There was a huge circular counter behind it, with a few computers that were turned off. A balcony surrounded upstairs looked down to where we were, and two sets of staircases on either side of the room led there. Most of the doors that led off of the room we were in were boarded shut like the windows. All except one in the back on the left wall.

I looked back toward the other two and walked toward the fountain where Jill was still sitting. When I reached her, I sat to her left in silence and let her tears stain the front of her shirt. When the flow slowed I put my arm around her shoulders and pulled her into a one armed hug. I was surprised when she lay her head on my shoulder, but not as much as I was surprised of my sudden need to comfort her. It had to be because deep down I knew that losing a friend was hard.

Especially if that friend became a monster that the love of your life has to fight in the end. The thought pained me, so I focused back on Jill. "You okay?"

She nodded and I looked over to Claire for help, who walked forward instantly and kneeled in front of us. I could see that she had tears in her eyes as well. Had she known Brad?

"Jill." Claire's voice broke and she tried again. "Jill, I'm so sorry. I know that… that you and my brother were close to Vickers… But we have to get out of here. We have to keep going and stay strong okay? We still have Leon and Chris with us."

"Chris is gone, he's not here Claire." Jill said weakly. "He's in Europe, I'm sorry I didn't have a moment to tell you before." Telling Claire this resulted in more tears from Jill.

I wondered why Chris had gone to Europe and wanted to ask, but I didn't want the conversation to linger. It seemed to upset them both in two different ways. Claire looked at Jill with a shocked expression on her face, and Jill was beginning to soak up my shirt as well. My heart ached for them, but we had to get out of the open soon or we would be facing Phil and all of his new glory. If it didn't take him long to bust through a door that was completely blocked off by a heavy desk, then those boards on the windows would be nothing.

"Guys," I said before Claire could speak. "We have to get going… You said that there was a radio that we could contact the others with?"

"Y-yes." Jill said, wiping her tears away and putting on a game face. "Come on, we'll probably find it upstairs."

"Wait. I don't understand." I paused, looking at Claire quizzically. "Didn't he contact you by radio last time? Don't you have a radio on you or something? Why don't you just use that?"

"We tried that." Claire told me. "We cant intercept signals from each other. The radio at the office was damaged a little and we can only tune into each other if we're by a actual satellite radio, like the one at the station. The signal is stronger that way, and they'll be able to fully understand."

I nodded. "Okay, so lets find this radio and tell them what is going on. We'll loose the nemesis and join them-"

"We cant do that." Jill told me. "If we rejoin them then that'll lead that monster there as well… We have to kill it ourselves."

"I have a feeling that it wont work." I told them. "We could try, but I know how that thing is going to end up dying, and its not going to be by our hands."

"What do you mean?"

"Val has to fight it in the end that's what it was programmed for, beside killing all of the S.T.A.R.S members."

"Valerie?" Claire's eyes widened. "She's so young."

"She was programmed for that reason too. She has to fight him in the end, that's the only way that he will die." I was completely confident in what Val had seen when I told them this. I looked at Jill. "That's what we were brought to the hospital for. The files said that we were dumped by Wesker. Something about him is all wrong."

"Wesker?" Jill looked confused. "Wesker is gone Edward."

"Where to?"

"I have no idea, he left not long after Chris…" Realization dawned on her face. "Right before all of this happened."

I met her eyes with complete understanding, Claire still not putting two and two together. "Wait," She said, holding up her hand. "Are you saying that Wesker had something to do with this."

"If he's dumping off a trio of humans at a hospital where two out of three became experiments, and then disappears before the storm," I shook my head. "I'll say that it looks like it."

"That's why Chris left." Jill told us, seeing something that we couldn't see. "He was acting weird and said that he had to do this alone. He told me that it was too dangerous and that he wanted me to stay behind and take care of the place…"

"Wait," Claire said again. "My brother didn't have anything to do with this-"

"No." Jill stopped her. "That's where all of this must be coming from. Europe, or some part overseas. Chris must have knew this and went to investigate."

"What if Wesker…?"

"No." I assured Claire. "He's fine. If you want to try and contact him on the radio as well, we could do that. It probably wont reach, but you could try. When we get out of here you will have a better chance of seeing or talking to him. So lets get going."

I was eager to get to this radio and hear Leon's voice telling me that it was all okay. That Valerie was in top shape and they had found the girl. That they would wait for us to mislead Phil and find them. I wanted to tell Val that I loved her, and hear her say it back. And then promise that we would see each other again so I could feel a little stronger. My soul and heart would still ach until I saw her again, but at least my mind would be at ease.

Jill wiped what little tears she had left from her cheeks and sat up straight, and then slowly stood. I follow suite, looking to the circular counter again and walking to the computers. If we could get them to work then maybe we could send for some real help. Maybe the entire country would come in the city gunning for us. That would be lucky. _If_ it hadn't spread further then I hoped it did.

We tried to no avail. But on a positive note I found more machine gun bullets, and also shotgun rounds. I took the rounds as well, thinking that Val could need it when I saw her. She would probably take them and smile at me like I was giving her a personal gift. I could see it now and the thought made me smile. I turned to the right hand set of stairs and led the way, gripping my machine gun.

The hall was empty scratching the total of three zombie that we had to kill. Afterward everything seemed so simple that I was beginning to get more nervous then I would have been if we had to fight a horde of zombies and monsters. Every time I passed a window I expected Phil to jump through it, roaring and thrashing about. But it never happened, and I was beginning to wish for something to fight for distraction from this looming feeling that was growing in the pit of my chest.

At the end of a hall, a small section opened up and in the middle of it was a statue holding what looked like some type of jewel in its left hand. I walked by it toward the door that was waiting on the other side of the room. It was locked.

I looked back at the other two, who were now examining the statue. "Now what? This brings us to a dead end."

"That's the room with the radio." Jill told us. "We have to move this statue to that dark square behind it, against the wall there."

She pointed to the square on the manila carpet. It was a bit darker, though I hadn't noticed it before, and it was pressed as if something heavy belonged resting on it. I walked forward and took the middle part, and with Claire on my left and Jill on my right we counted to three and began to push. It was harder then I thought that it would be with the three of us working together. When we finally had it on the square and against the wall the jewel in its hand fell to the base of the statue, landing at its feet.

I was sweating when we were done, and watched as Claire picked the jewel up. Which turned out to be a ruby. We walked toward the locked door and I saw that a small compartment had opened on the knob, just big enough to fit the ruby into. Claire slid it into place without us having to point it out to her, and the lock clicked open. We opened up and walked in.

We were in a fancy office. There was a large bookshelf against the wall that caught my eyes at first, the desk in the center of everything was mahogany, the walls were covered in expensive art. I could see a chest next to the desk and a radio on the wall behind it. Claire walked directly to the radio and started turning dials and static echoed around the room. Jill traveled to the chest and opened it while she worked, so I followed for something to do. The anticipation was killing me.

The chest was full of herbs mostly, but there were occasional bullets and grenades. I added the grenades to my already full pockets and felt satisfied with our find. Jill took the herbs and handgun bullets that I didn't already pocket for Val. She stuffed the leaves in her pocket, and slid a knife in the leg of her boot. The bullets she had were put into her waist band. She caught me looking at her in awe.

"What?" She asked, looking awkward.

"How the hell do you fit all of that?" I asked, sounding rude. But she knew that I didn't mean it that way because she laughed at me.

"Skill." She winked.

"There's no answer to Chris's radio." Claire told us, still facing the radio so we couldn't see her face. She cleared her throat. "I'll try Leon now."

I leaned against the bookshelf against the wall for a moment of relaxation as Claire tried to tune her way to Leon. I felt it move and my heart jumped into my throat. I was falling before I could stand upright. When my ass hit the floor in a bone crushing jut, something caught my eye from the left. I looked and could see that there was a corridor leading from the room. It had been concealed by the bookshelf, and if I had run out of luck sooner then we would never have found it. Jill was by my side, looking down the corridor aiming her gun while she kneeled next to me.

"Are you okay?" She asked, I could see Claire looking over Jill's shoulder in concern, still by the radio.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I told them, jumping up. "Lucky."

"I'll agree with that." Claire told me.

"Should we go?" I asked Jill. "Claire can stay and keep trying to contact Leon."

"No… I have a great idea!" Jill told me. "We'll go check it out, come back, and when the others get here we'll meet them back at the front. We'll hold off nemesis until we all get in this room, show them the way out by this if its safe enough, and then find the way out. If worst comes to worst, we'll have to fight him."

"No!" I disagreed, louder then I meant to. Val would see Phil then, she would be upset and then if we had to fight it would be her who had to kill him. I shook my head. I wasn't ready to send her into that battle "We have to fight him now, kill him before they get here."

"Are you insane!" Jill asked, rudely. "We couldn't possibly-"

"You said we might have to fight him if worst comes to worst. I don't want the others to be involved in that fight."

"But worst might not come. Then we'll be able to get away without a fight."

I opened my mouth to tell her that there would be a fight in the end, but Claire interrupted us. "I've got it! Leon? Leon, come in!"


	16. Chapter 16

"I've got it! Leon? Leon, come in!"

I looked up at Leon and my heart jumped when I heard Claire's voice speaking from his radio. We had been waiting at the entrance for them for a while now. I had been pacing, glancing at Alexia who was sitting on the bench that me and Edward had sat, and bouncing on my tiptoes for what felt like a year. Finally, Claire's voice lifted my anxiety that was smothering my chest, only an inch or so.

Leon picked up his radio and answered. "Claire? Where are you? We've been waiting here. We have Alexia."

There was static and then another voice answered. Not the one that I had hoped, but someone familiar. "Leon, guess who?"

"Jill!" Surprise ruled Leon's features, the same surprise that had to be etched into mine as well. "Jill, what are you doing-"

"Leon, I met Claire and Edward in the school…" There was a pause, and then Jill's voice had disinclination in it. "And we had to get out of there quickly. We're at the R.C. Town Hall."

"Why? What happened?"

There was another pause, and then Claire's voice was back. I had a bad feeling, something was wrong and they were hiding whatever it was. "It's irrelevant for now, but that's where we are. Do you think…"

Static erupted from the speaker and Leon and I looked at each other in concern. I walked over to him and held my hand out for the radio. When he handed it over I pressed the call button and spoke into it clearly.

"Claire? Jill? Where's Edward?"

There was no answer and then Claire's voice was asking for Leon again, this time far off. I tried again.

"Val!" My heart stopped, it was just the voice I wanted to hear. It wasn't as good as it would have been to see him, but warmth swept through me.

I felt giddy when I spoke to him. "Edward! Your okay, aren't you? What's going on, I can tell something's wrong, what are you guys hiding?"

"I love you!" Edward said, his voice deep and rough with meaning.

"Edward." I shook my head. "Don't do that!"

"What did I do." Humorous now.

"You can do it when I'm not even in front of you." I giggled, then became stern. "Seriously, what's going on?"

"It's nothing. Listen, we're going to meet you guys there…"

The radio cut away again, and my heart dropped as fast as it flew when I was talking to him. I looked back at Leon."Something's wrong." He spoke my mind. "That radio cant cut out like that. Their probably arguing about their next move."

"Okay, here's what we're going to do." Jill's voice was back, she sounded annoyed. "There's a neighborhood the same distance from all of you and us here… We will meet you at one of the houses. Number One-Nine-Six-One-Eight. That's my house, I closed shutters blocking off the windows and doors to the inside. It's pretty safe and secure. We'll make our next move then."

I looked at Leon for conformation and he nodded after a minute of thought. "Yeah, we can do that." I answered her.

"Val." It was Edward again, and my heart fluttered. "Just get there and be careful. Don't come to us, the three of you have to get there and wait. The neighborhoods been blocked off, so you guys will have to climb over a fence. Go there and wait, don't come after us."

"Alright." I said, the same suspicious feeling stabbing my better judgment. "Are you okay? Truly?"

"Yes, I'm fine." He assured me. "Go! The sooner you get there, the safer you will be."

"Edward, I'm not afraid of anything." I rolled my eyes.

"I know, I know." His voice was hurried now. "Just get there. I love you."

"I love you too."

The connection died afterward. I beckoned Alexia to me, and then offered my belt loop again. I looked at Leon in time to catch him flinching. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing, I'll be fine." I saw him rub his shoulder.

"Your hurt." I took Alexia's hand away from me slowly and told her to stand where she was. When I got beside of Leon I realized up close he looked paler then usual and had circles under his eyes. "Leon, you've been bitten!"

I forced him over to a chair against the wall and told him to sit down. To my surprise and relief he listened. I hesitated, then ripped his shirt where his wound was bleeding. It looked worst then I thought, I gasped and looked up at Leon. Our eyes locked, and I knew that he had gotten this when a zombie had tackled him to the ground on our way out and I had to shoot it off of him. Shit.

"It's not so bad." He lied. "I'll make it until we find one of those herbs."

"Leon." I shook my head. "You look bad already."

"I'll be fine." He said, trying to pull away.

I held him there. "I have to find you something-"

Alexia was beside of us now, dropping to the floor and laying her lunchbox in front of her. She opened it as if she were going to plant it beside of us and get down to lunch. But then she was throwing aside the food and I could see a small button in the corner before she pushed it. A small compartment opened up and I saw four syringes with green liquid in them.

"Where did you get those?" Leon asked, his voice shocked.

"My father made them for me." She told us in that small voice. "I think it will help you."

"What is it?" I asked the two of them.

When Alexia didn't answer, Leon turned to me. "It's the antidote to the T-Virus. The cure to all of this."

My eyes widened as I looked back to the needles. "The cure?""They were for me, I take them as medicine." Alexia said, I didn't want to imagine her sticking her own arm. "I have extra… You have to inject it into a main vein."

Leon took the syringe when Alexia's small arm held it out to him, and then looked at me. "I cant do it alone."

"Do you have a belt?" I asked him, thinking about wrapping it around his upper arm. Our best bet would be for him to inject it like it were heroine. The thought made me shudder.

Leon stood up and took off his belt and gave it to me. When he sat back down I wrapped it around his arm and pulled it tightly. I looked away before Leon injected himself, I didn't want to see this. I counted to ten and then looked back, Leon was taking it away from a small spot of blood on his arm. I gripped the belt tighter before letting it loose. Then took one of the cuffs of my jacket and wiped the spot away.

I watched Leon's expression while Alexia reloaded her lunchbox and we waited for it to help him. He threw the syringe aside and laid back, resting his head on the wall, with his eyes closed. He jerked a few times and I forced myself to keep my mouth shut, I didn't want to alarm Alexia if I kept asking if he were okay. I looked back at the wound and felt my eyes widen again, it was growing shut before me. The blood had clotted and the skin seemed like it was regenerating.

"Leon." I gasped.

He looked at the closing wound and smiled with relief, then shut his eyes and lay back again. I watched the wound until it healed all the way, and then waited for Leon to open his eyes again. After a minute or so he did, and then looked at Alexia.

"Thank you." He told her warmly then stood up.

"Better?" I asked him.

"Yeah, it almost feels like a high." He told me. "Adrenaline high. You ready to go?"

"Yes." I said, then let Alexia grab my belt loop once again.

I followed Leon out of the front door with my handgun in hand. I decided to save the shotgun for something that could be more lethal then the zombies we would probably face. And sure enough there were a few to shoot on our way out. Leon and I dropped them at the same time, then continued to walk. I saw him take out a map of the city and look at it when we got at an intersection.

"It's a little way, but I think that we'll be fine-"

A payphone rang five feet from us, interrupting him. I walked over to it and picked it up, there were gunshots behind me, Leon had to shoot a few more zombies down that had come around the corner. I put the receiver to my ear.

"Hello?"

"You have my daughter?" It was Ashford.

"Yes, but we've ran into some complications." I told him. "There are no time for complications. I see that you don't have two people with you," He was talking about Edward and Claire. "I'm sorry, but the offer has expired for them. Time is ticking, I want you and the man to bring my daughter and get out of there-"

"No deal." I said menacingly. "If you ever want to see your daughter again then I suggest that you wait for all of us. We'll contact you when we're together, you'll have to leave me a number."

"Your not understanding me Ms. Pagan." My breath caught when he said my name, how did he know? "I meant what I said about time… there is none for ridicules negotiations-"

"I'll tell you what we have time for, Mr. Ashford!" I spat, loosing patience. "I have your daughter, and I'm assuming that if you had an alternate way to get her out of the city then you would have done it already… Now, the plan is that we have to meet the others at a safe house. I can assure you that nothing will happen to Alexia while she is with us. If you leave me your number then I will contact you when we're ready, and you can tell us what to do from there. Got it?"

I felt proud of myself for standing up for what was best for all of us. Leon was even giving me a look torn between surprise and gratitude. There was silence on the other end of the line and then a exasperated sigh.

"I have cameras set up around the city, remember that. If I see Alexia gets even the smallest scratch the deals off and there will be a time limit to get her to the helicopter that I will have waiting for you." He said in a voice that was forced calm. "I will wait. But I will only wait for a limited amount of time. That is how it has to be, I'm sorry for your friends… I will see the house that you go into and will call you there if my clock runs out. If your friends make it on time, then I will call telling you instructions on how to get to the chopper and how much time you have to get there.

"Remember… Time is precious. For all of us."

The line disconnected. I felt an eerie chill wipe though me as I hung up. "Lets get going." Was all I said to Leon, and he nodded.

"Was that my daddy?" Alexia asked.

"Yes, he told me to tell you that he loves you very much but he had to go." I said quietly, thinking of why he hadn't talked to his daughter at all. Not even an 'I love you' like I told her he said. "When we get to the house he's supposed to call us again, and then I'm sure that he'll be able to talk to you."

"Okay." She smiled at me, already so trusting.

We took turn after turn down each street and I was wondering if Leon was taking us in the wrong direction. I had the feeling again that we were being watched, and I thought that it must be just Ashford. But I couldn't shake the bad feeling that came with this one. Piled onto the one about how Edward was hiding something from me, and all the anxiety I was feeling was making me want to explode. I was glad that Leon came up with the idea with Alexia having to hold onto my belt loop. Otherwise I would have to keep looking at her rather then feeling her there. She was a beautiful girl, but every time I looked at her I thought about all of the children back in the school. The ones that attacked. I shook my head to bring me away from that room, hoping that someday the thought would escape my memory.

"Leon!" Alexia shouted, her grip tightening on my pants.

I looked toward Leon in time to see a long tongue wrap around him and yank him off of his feet. His map and his gun went flying, and I pocketed my handgun and readied my shotgun. It was a licker, but he was perched on a low roof to our right, and its hold was so strong that it was lifting Leon up off the ground toward it.

"Alexia, hold on!" I shouted. Then took a few steps forward and aimed my gun at the Licker.

It took three shots and the Lickers tongue loosened its grip on Leon and he dropped to the ground. I walked forward cautiously, and then kneeled down.

"You okay?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It didn't get through my sleeves." Leon told me, I looked him over to be sure that he was telling the truth. He was.

"Alright. Lets get the fuck out of here. How much longer will we be on the streets?"

"The neighborhood is just around that left corner." He said, standing.

We were walking again, and this time Leon was taking cover from behind and I was leading. I took a left at the corner that he had pointed to and five yards in front of us was a welcome sign with a ten foot fence behind it.

"Okay…" I turned to him, and took Alexia's hand away from my pants. "How are we going to do this?"

"Alexia." Leon walked forward and leaned down to her so they were in the same line of vision. "Can you trust me enough to climb up on my back and let me get you over that wall?"

Her big brown eyes looked at me first, and then looked back at him. "Yes." She said quietly. "If you don't drop me."

"I wont drop you, I promise- Valerie!"

I turned just in time to see two zombies advancing on me. They were only feet away, and I blasted them back with my shotgun. After they dropped, a ghostly unison of moans sounded far off. But it seemed like an army was advancing toward us. I could see shadows coming from the street that we were just on.

I looked back to the others to tell them to hurry, but Leon was already swinging Alexia on her back and bracing himself against the fence.

"Come on!" He yelled at me, beginning his climb.

"You go!" I yelled back. "I'll hold them off as long as your climbing!"

Unexpectedly Leon didn't argue, showing me that he really trusted me as a partner like I had talked to him about. I looked back to the streets and could see the shadows were seconds away from turning into what was really coming. I braced myself for the real thing, but before I could wrap my mind around it there it was. A hoard of zombies, running right at us. Bigger and more then I had seen yet. I aimed my shotgun and let them have it, picking off five at a time.

I knew the ones that I shot weren't dead, but it was slowing them down as much as it was possible. The ones behind them were jumping over the limp bodies, and before I knew it I was pinned against the fence fighting them off. My heart rate had to be going through the roof with every inch that they were closing in on me. Finally I heard Leon yell at me to tell me to start climbing and took my shotgun and rotated it onto my back. Thank god for nifty little gun straps.

Leon was shooting as much as he could at the zombies that were closer to me. I felt a few pairs of hands grab at my ankles, but I kicked them off and kept climbing. When I made it to the top, I jumped to the ground and grabbed Alexia's hand. I led her a few feet back and then looked around to make sure that she was secure waiting there, and then spotted a gasoline tank nearby. I ran to it, already smelling the gas. I took the cap on the ground and tightened it over the opening.

"MOVE!" I yelled for Leon to clear off and then opened the lid just enough for it to burst open when it landed. Then I threw it with all of my strength over the fence, and lit another cigarette. Once again, I took a good drag to get it burning and then flicked it at where the tank had landed on the other side. There was a massive explosion and I jerked away, running backward toward the other two.

A rancid scream came from the zombies as they burned alive… Well, not necessarily alive, but close enough. I could feel the warmth on my face when I looked back to make sure that the fire was spreading enough to take the force that they were pushing onto the fence away. It was, many of the zombies were backing up, still on fire. I watched the bodies drop one by one, yet another thing that would be burned into my mind forever. When I finally got my fill of relief I turned to the other two.

"You okay?" Leon asked me. "You have a few singes there."

I let him wipe the ash away from my cheeks then smiled at him. "I'm fine."

He laughed.

I looked down at Alexia and saw that her eyes were mesmerized, still looking at the fire. "Are you okay?" I asked kindly.

She looked up at me in awe. "There were so many."

"I got them." I assured her. "The fence is still up see? They cant get us in here."

"That's what I thought when I went back to school." I almost didn't catch that because she was mumbling, but it worried me.

I looked around to be sure that we were okay here, and outlandishly the street looked like your average neighborhood. As if what were happening outside of the fence was a whole different world… No, universe. Seeing something this normal made me feel uneasy. Almost sick. Alexia automatically grabbed my belt loop and I looked down and smiled at her.

"Okay… Number One-Nine-Six-One-Eight." Leon said, looking at the nearest house. "It's definitely down this way."

"How do you know?" I asked, trying to see what he saw.

"Because that's number One-Nine-Six-Zero-Two." He said, pointing to the house he was looking at. "Lets go."

I followed him with Alexia behind me, but I couldn't help but continue to glance back. I was expecting anything to be waiting for us or lurking behind us that would cause trouble. I was almost hoping for it the further we walked. This was too normal, too perfect to walk into after everything that we had seen in the city so far. There was no trash on the street, it even looked like people could be living inside of the houses, blissfully blind to what was occurring out of bounds.

"I live here." Alexia said suddenly. "Daddy used to take me for walks around the neighborhood."

"Which house is yours?" I asked, stunned that she had stated the fact so calmly. As if we were just taking her for another walk.

"It's a few streets down that way."

"Do you think your daddy is in that house?"

"No… I think if he was then he would have came and got me himself." She looked down about this.

"Well, you'll see him soon." I assured her.

We continued to walk, all the time I held my shotgun ready just in case. Sooner then I expected we were in front of Jill's house. It was different then all the others, only slightly smaller. But the true difference was the shutters over all the windows and the front door. It looked like a house ready for a war, brick and sturdy. It seemed irrelevant, seeing as absolutely nothing dangerous was in sight. But I was grateful for it all the same.

Leon walked right up to the front door like he was ready to ring the doorbell, but I saw him pause. I followed and could see the padlock that he was looking at. He was trying numbers, then stopped after the second time he tried and failed.

"What is it?"

"I only have three times to try this and then it shuts down." He told me. "The first two obviously wasn't right…"

"What did you try?"

"Her license plate and her birthday. We all have locks like these, it was Chris's idea to get them installed. I know that Redfield uses his badge number.""They were partners right?" I asked, he nodded. "Then try her badge number… Do you know it?"

"Yeah… But what if-"

"No no… Try it." I encouraged him. "I want a shower and if it's wrong then Jill will know how to disable it, so either way we'll get in. But this will get us in sooner."

"She wont be able to disable it." He said, looking worried now. "It was designed to completely shut down."

"Well, then we'll just meet them here in the street if it doesn't work. Either way…"

I shrugged at him, and then after a minute or two he nodded at me. "The trust that I have in you could be our downfall you know."

I smiled at him, giving his shoulder a little heartened nudge. He sighed and turned to the padlock again, and then slowly punched in what must have been Jill's badge number. I held my breath when he hit send and the delay afterwards almost made my heart drop. But then the light on the top of the lock went from red to green, and I smiled widely. All of the shudders flew open and the door unlocked to give us access inside. I grabbed Alexia's hand this time as we entered.

Leon found a light switch and the room came to life. It was a nice little sitting room with plush couches and a coffee table. I kicked off my shoes because I didn't want to dirty the perfectly clean floor, even though I knew that it didn't matter. Leon and Alexia were ahead of me and he was clicking on lights in the house. I followed them down a hall and then looked to my right. There was a homely kitchen that was open and roomy, with a little island in the middle of it.

The living room had only a couch, loveseat, and plasma television in it. I noticed as I looked it over the house seemed too big for the things inside. But the furniture made the place cozy. It looked more like a bachelor pad then anything else, a house that would be great for parties. There was an office away from everything before you got to the stairs, I went in to look around and saw a beautiful painting above the computer. It was a map of the world and all of the countries in it. The bigger ones had small print in them with their names.

I looked at all of the different countries of the world and landed on Italy. My thoughts traveled there, with Edward. How we would be sitting on the beach one day, happy and content with our lives together. Maybe we could forget all of this and disappear together like our memories would. Hopefully. I pictured myself beside of him, holding him, kissing him. Making love on the sand. At that moment I wanted to get married in Italy. Rome would be perfect-

"Hey, Valerie." I jumped and looked around at Leon standing in the door. "I secured everything while we wait for them. Do you want to go ahead and grab that shower? I'll keep an eye on Alexia. I tried to get her to eat but she's saying that she's not hungry."

"Yeah, I'll go ahead and do that, thanks." I smiled at him, secretly angry that he interrupted my paradise.

"You can go ahead upstairs and take one in the first room that you'll see. As soon as you get up there it's the room in front of you." He told me as I passed.

I thanked him again and turned to climb up the stairs, glad to be away from all of the chaos. Glad to be alone for once, in a civil situation. I made it to the room and noticed that the walls were painted lavender, the color automatically made me smile and feel warm. That is when I decided that I wanted my brides maids to wear lavender… Hell, Jill could be the maid of honor. This was her house after all.

I undressed and my mind wandered to all of the things that I could have done in life where the ending result would have been better. I thought of how I should have left Edward in that tent and my brother in the clearing. I thought of how I could have not fought with my mother so much, even though she acted blind to what her perfect husband was doing. I thought of Phil… By the time I was under the scolding hot water, stinging my body, I felt cooler tears run down my cheeks. If we got out of this… How was I going to explain it to mom? Or dad… He always loved Phil. Almost favored him, but blamed him for how I was at times.


	17. Chapter 17

**I was confident that the things we found in the tunnel that led to a smorgasbord of weapons were going to help us with what we were about to face. I had not only loaded up with extra bullets, now weighing me down slightly, in my jacket. But also had a rocket launcher balancing on my right shoulder. Not counting the number of grenades in the pockets of my jeans. I set the launcher down on the desk in the office and glanced at the radio. I wanted to call Leon and ask him if everything was okay, but I held back thinking of how Valerie would try to find a reason to join us. **

"**Alright." Claire said, checking the rifle she had found and loading it with fresh bullets. "This is going to be a piece of cake."**

"**As long as we stick with the plan." Jill told us, setting down the grenade launcher that she had found and loaded up with acid rounds. "Edward?"**

"**I know… I know. I like the plan." I told her in defense. "I like this plan better."**

"**When we get out there and get his attention Claire will shoot at him back to back." Jill went over the plan anyway. "Then Edward will hit him with the rocket, then unload on him with the bullets as I shoot him with this baby." She patted her grenade launcher.**

"**We need to be a good distance away from him." I told the two. "So nothing backfires-"**

"**And we stay clear from the weapons on both arms." Claire recited, finishing our grand scheme. "Got it."**

"**We got this." I assured Jill in the best badass voice I could crop up, then took my rocket launcher again and balanced it. Jill rolled her eyes, but smiled regardless. "So, we head downstairs first, and then if he isn't waiting for us there we go outside."**

**The other two nodded, and then we filed out. Jill passed me when we were outside so she could be in front just incase. I could tell that this was a move to protect me, but I was beginning to get annoyed with her. I was ready to go out, guns blazing, and take my frustration out on the last person I wanted to, but had to, at the moment. She was the wall between me and my goal, the annoying wall that you had to trust to keep you safe and secure in bad situations. When you thought you could take care of yourself. **

**I wanted to push my way pass her for a split second, and then my thoughts softened. Jill was really a great person, and this was the second time that she was here and had our backs. The way she moved and looked was more aged then what she was. She was skilled and wise, even showing it in her walk. I looked back down at my feet, thinking of Val. I wanted to see her walk gracefully again, as if she had been a ballerina all of her life. I was doing this for her, thinking that way was the only thing that kept my feet moving. I didn't want to do this, I didn't want to end Phil's life… If its possible, even with everything that we were packed with.**

**I didn't want to be the one to tell her that he was gone for good. How had we accepted Phil's fate so easily? Now that it was more realistic to me, that Phil himself had actually chased us here, I kept having to shake my head in disbelief. In the end he would have to be a monster, I would have to think of him that way. Yet another thing that was standing between Val and her safety. I shook my head once more, this time wiping all doubt away from my thoughts. I was ready… Right?**

**I hadn't told Jill what the nemesis truly was, and Claire probably only had a slight idea from talking with Leon before we all split. But none of them saw the full picture of the problem, which I was grateful for. I knew if Jill had known I wouldn't have such a big part in Phil's destruction, she would tell me to stand back and let them handle it. But I was relieved that I was playing an important part, I didn't want to feel anymore useless then I was already feeling. **

**We were back downstairs in the front room again. With a quick sweep of my eyes I saw nothing standing in our way to the front door. My heart started to race, not because I was afraid because of what was ahead. I was nerves. Out of everything I could be feeling right now I was nerves. I swallowed, as if I could swallow away the feeling in my chest. No good. It was punching away at me as we got closer and closer to the door…**

**But we never made it. There was a deafening crash from one of the boarded windows that I had been thankful for before. And before we could get to the battlefield the battle had come to us. There was Phil, with all of his new glory. But before I could fully look at him to see what he had become, Claire was running backwards and shooting him as we planned with her rifle. **

**I snapped out of whatever was holding me there, and ran back to get a better aim at the nemesis. He was walking toward Claire and raising his own grenade launcher at her. Claire dodged out of the way and the round passed by me five feet to my right. I looked through the scope of my rocket launcher and took perfect aim at his chest. Before I could think twice about what I was shooting exactly I took my shot. It was successful, but only slowed him down. Claire was continuously shooting her rifle and that's when I remembered my machine gun. **

**Strangely, it wasn't as easy as the rocket launcher. I was shooting him, pumping bullet after bullet into his body while he was still down. The only thing holding him up was a weak arm. And then I wasn't shooting at all. Jill was yelling words at me that I couldn't understand and her grenade launcher began unloading on him. My eyes were trained, no stuck, on what was left of my best friend. He was dying, had died, because of my reckless decision to take them away from home. The creature that he was now, was holding on by a string. **

**I wanted to rip the weapons away from the other two and find away to help Phil. I wanted to go back in time and take back what I had said, let things happened how they should have. Sure, I wouldn't have Val like I wanted her. But she wouldn't have been through all of this. Depending on how this virus would spread, she would have never gone through it at all. I had brought these two away from a normal, or as normal as it could get, life for my own selfish reasons. And the result was right here in front of me. This is what I got that would be the first of karma to hit me. Valerie would be next. I would loose everything because of this…**

"**Edward!" Jill's face appeared in front of mine out of nowhere. "Edward! Damnit, what the hell happened to you?"**

"**W-what?"**

"**He's dead." She told me, but I couldn't wrap my mind about what she said. "He's dead, now lets get going."**

"**Wait… wait." I looked back at all of my faults, like looking into the mirror. There he was, face down on the floor. Somehow, he didn't look like a monster laying there. "Are you sure?" **

"**No, but I don't want to get close enough to look." **

"**You have to be sure." I told her frantically. "Make sure you put him out of his misery."**

"**What the hell are you talking about?" She looked disgusted at what I just said, and it made me angry. **

**I opened my mouth to yell at her but Claire stopped me. "Jill." She said quietly, and when she got her attention she shook her head slowly. "He's right."**

**I was walking forward cautiously toward the massive pile on the floor. I was going to check if he was dead, just check and that would be it. We would leave and I would make them swear to never tell Val. Her vision would never have to be. When I reached him I kneeled down to his arm to check the pulse. **

**No pulse.**

**The relief that I thought would be there never came. I froze in the same position, gripping his wrist… waiting. A false hope fluttered weakly in my mind. I couldn't move, I felt trapped there, the walls were closing in and something was putting pressure on my chest. I couldn't breath. When I settled on the border of my stupor, at least enough to take in a shallow breath or two, I felt something wet and warm on my cheeks. I was confused, what was that? But I couldn't bring myself to let his wrist go to check. **

**I saw a shadow next to me, and red hair in my peripheral vision. "Edward." Claire's voice was so quiet and angelic I finally looked away toward her. She put her hand on my shoulder. "I know… I'm sorry."**

**I shook my head at her. She gently took my hand away from Phil's wrist and held it in hers. She was so warm compared to… **

"**I know your not okay. But your not alone here." She told me, still quiet. "We're all going through something that we have a hard time living with. In the end of the day you do what you can to save lives. What you have to do."**

**I nodded, then took my hand away and wiped away the tears that had stained my cheeks. My mind was slowly coming back, and I realized where I was. I looked around and saw Jill sitting on the fountain she had when we first got here. Her hands were over her eyes and she was leaning into them. I looked at Claire and she was looking back at me, worry there that I didn't deserve. I smiled at her to assure her that I would be fine. Something that she did deserve. **

**I cleared my throat and stood up, my knees weak from balancing beside someone that I knew I had to let go now. I did silently, throwing all the meaning I had into it. I told him that I was sorry, that I loved him like a brother, and goodbye. I promised him that I would take care of his sister, and give her a life in the end so grand that all of this would be worth it. Then, I turned away and vowed to myself to never look back.**

**I never did. **

**No one talked as we left the town hall. Jill looked at me once and nodded, her facial expression guilty. When we got outside we had six zombies waiting, there arms open and walking toward us as if they were welcoming us after a long departure. I shot them, not looking at their faces, completely heartless. Jill led the way and we walked and walked. Shot, and walked. Shot, shot, shot, and walked. I started to feel like I was the zombie. Claire was always glancing at me, I wanted to tell her to stop.**

**But then she said something that woke me up. "I'm sure that the others are waiting there for us. How long until we get there Jill?"**

"**About a five minute walk." She said, without glancing back. **

**I sped up until I was beside her. I felt like a robot, not in control of my actions at all. I was walking beside her and getting her attention. "Listen." I said, in a voice that I didn't recognize at all. "Thank you for everything that your doing for us. I know that you had no idea what… I know that you didn't know. That's okay."**

**Jill studied my face. "You're so young." She shook her head. "You have so much more experience to go through without dealing with this."**

"**So do you. You cant be much older then me, your not eighty."**

"**No, I'm not. But I feel like it sometimes." She admitted. "Thank you for your forgiveness, but its not something that you should ever imagine going through. This isn't something that you should have to forgive."**

"**I know." I told her harshly. "I should be the one apologizing."**

"**Why? You didn't create all of this."**

"**No… But I led them here-"**

"**You didn't know where your were headed." Jill argued. "Edward. You're a lot like me. My mother used to tell me that sometimes I have to put the blame on others instead of taking it out on myself."**

**I smiled, and then my heart ached. "My mom used to say the same thing."**

"**It's good advice." **

**I nodded and felt slightly better. "Thanks."**

"**No apologies, no forgiveness. Okay?" She stopped in her tracks so suddenly that I froze beside her and looked around. "Do you smell something burning?"**

**I sniffed the air and the smell of burning rotting meat almost made me gag. It was disgusting. I pinched my nose against it and looked back at Claire to see her do the same. **

"**What is it?" I asked in a nasal voice. **

"**It smells like burning flesh. Dead flesh." Jill said, looking ahead of us like she was expecting something to round the corner. **

**Gunshots cracked from behind me and I turned to see Claire shoot two zombies down. I gripped my own machine gun, prepared for some fight to erupt soon. But nothing came to us, so we started walking toward the smell. It was getting worst the closer we got. It became so overwhelming that I had to cover my entire mouth, I could taste it. The three of us all started to cough in unison when we rounded the corner. **

**There was a fire burning down in front of a fence that was blocking off a neighborhood. I didn't need Jill to tell me that it was hers to realize we had finally made it. This was what was going to delay seeing the only face that I wanted to see right now, and I was pissed. But then a closer look, and I was laughing. There were a massive pile of zombies that had been burned and a red disfigured gas tank in the middle of it all. **

"**Valerie." I said in the midst of my laugher. "She must have had to do this, what a pyromaniac."**

"**You do realize that this is the only safe way in." Jill told me, probably thinking I was insane. **

"**So we get some water…" I looked around. "Where could we get water?"**

"**I don't know Edward, do you see a fire truck around?" Jill scoffed at me. "Well have to find another way-"**

"**No." Claire said, smiling. "I could just crawl through that hole, I'm small enough."**

**She was pointing at a hole that was twenty feet away from the fire in the neighborhood fence blocking the entrance. I walked to her side and looked at it, then held out my hand for a high five that she gave me with a giggle. Jill walked to us and had a look.**

"**What do you plan to do on the other side?" Jill asked. **

"**Well, get some water." She shrugged. "I could break into a nearby house and drag a hose to the other side and put it out."**

"**If the house triggers an alarm the entire city of undead will be on us." Jill told her. "Try to get a hose that's on the outside, okay?" **

**Claire nodded and then dodged around the bushes and soldier crawled into the hole. I waited there until she told us it was all clear and then looked at Jill and winked. **

"**Good," Jill said. "She leaves me with the moron." **

**We laughed, and then coughed. I felt like I was going to hurl if I was going to stand here another minute, but held it together. Jill started to pace relentlessly, I watched her and when I had the chance I would give her different looks that I assumed was entertaining to her. She turned once and completely froze and looked at me, a critical look up and down, and then shook her head and resumed. **

"**What?" I asked when she did it again.**

"**So your seventeen?" She looked at yet again, head to feet.**

"**Yeah…"**

"**Has anyone ever told you that you are extremely handsome for seventeen?"**

"**Hmmmm." I narrowed my eyes at her. "I suppose… I mean, I don't ask to be told."**

"**I bet."**

"**Where is this going?" I cleared my throat and smiled at her, flirting. I allowed one of my eyebrows to raise. **

"**Aren't you and that Valerie girl together?"**

"**Yes." My heart ached for her, she was just on the other side of that fence.**

"**Well then its going no where I suppose."**

**I crossed my arms and looked her up and down critically myself. Jill just paused and let it happen, and then I shook my head. "Your very pretty as well. Thanks for the complement."**

"**You know, I wouldn't have gone for you even if you weren't dating that girl."**

"**Mm-hm." **

**She rolled her eyes. "Only if it were the end of the world."**

**I looked around pointedly and then spread my arms, she smiled at me. "Looks like the end of the world to me."**

"**Not wholly."**

"**Touché." I walked to the curb and sat on it. "But no… I mean, no offence, I'm in love after all."**

"**You really think so?" It was her turn to raise an eyebrow. "Like I said, your so young."**

**I shrugged. "I can see what your saying, but I've known her my whole life."**

**I watched her walk over and sit on the curb next to me, like an authority figure that was preparing to talk about the true meaning of life. But she just curled her knees into her body and rested her chin on them, looking up at me. I tried not to notice her skirt ride up a few inches. But I had yet another think to feel guilty for when I glanced down.**

"**Do tell me the story of your infamous love." She said with a smile.**

**I looked at her for only a moment with suspicion in my eyes, but then sighed and began. I told her when we first met and the mile stones in our relationship while we grew up. I told her about how I wasn't sure if I was still falling in love with Val or it had been that way all along. She would respond with great advice. How even a lifetime friendship might not work out any other way if we moved to fast. About how she didn't have a problem with eighteen year olds proposing, but thought that college should be finished before marriage.**

"**Are you pro kids?" She asked me.**

"**God… who knows. Isn't it a bit soon to be talking about children?"**

"**Well, if you guys have already done the deeds," She wiggled her eye brows, "Was there a condom involved."**

**My heart stopped. No condom, of course not. Everything had been so rushed. Jill got her answer somewhere in my facial expression and then sighed, patting me on the shoulder.**

"**Think of it this way. Weighing out the options, she's going to get pregnant. Or… the things that were experimented on her could have made her infertile, which is good if you don't want to have a baby now. Which you don't. But bad if you guys want kids in the long run."**

**My stomach clinched into knots. "Damn… Let's change the subject."**

"**You started it with the whole in love thing." Jill accused, pointing her finger. "This all falls under the same serious subject."**

"**Are you just an advice producing machine or do you ever shut off?"**

"**I shut off at times, but never the right times."**

"**This is the right time to you?"**

**She mocked me by looking around pointedly and opening her arms like I had earlier. "What else is there to do?"**

"**I don't care if she gets pregnant. Whenever it happens, we'll work with it. It'll be just fine." I told her. "Is that what you wanted to hear?"**

"**Close enough." Jill sighed. "I guess it's a different situation completely, if the world is ending everyone would want to get all of that over with."**

"**The world isn't ending wholly." I mocked back.**

"**Hey guys!" We jumped and looked around at the entrance fence and saw Claire standing there with a water hose and two pairs of gloves. "I got everything. Gloves incase the wiring on the fence is still hot." **

**She through them over and we caught them and smiled at her. "Good job. Now lets douse this baby." **


	18. Chapter 18

The water was still so hot that my shoulders, which were catching most of it, were starting to turn bright red. I faced the run of lava, letting it fall on the top of my head and run down my tear streaked cheeks. Breaking down was okay when you were alone in a place where no one would dare interfere. Maybe Edward would be here soon, and I would have a reason to get out of the shower. I hadn't moved an inch other then washing myself.

My muscles were growing weak under the spout and I allowed myself to collapse and sit curled up, hugging my knees. The white tiled walls seemed like a dream cloud that belonged to someone else. They were too white and perfect for my eyes. Too clean, almost fake. I outstretched my arm to let my fingers feel that they were solid so I wouldn't fall away into my mind and let it get the best of me. My eyes were playing tricks on me, they were closer then I thought and the forced contact almost fractured a finger. I pulled my hand back as if I had been bitten.

The tears came again. I wanted everything just to go back as it had been, I wished I wouldn't have told Edward and just left when it was time. But no, of course I had to open my big mouth. I cried for my brother, even for Edwards parents and for the parents I wished I could have. I could feel my fingers digging into my legs and I softened my grip, making myself bleed wouldn't be the cure to my problems in a city full of, whatever we were in.

"Baby."

The voice was so soft and angelic that I thought I was imagining it. I breathed in and smelled something absolutely delicious, and when I exhaled I couldn't help the moan that escaped from my mouth. Then I felt a pair of ice cold hands on my shoulders and jumped, thinking momentarily of the weapons laying in the room. I looked around and my spat ended when I saw my personal blessing look back at me.

"Edward!" I stood up and so did he. His cloths were dirty and he only had taken his shoes off. Through the glass shower door I saw them casually thrown aside. "When did you get here?"

"Just a few minutes ago." He breathed, pulling me closer. "Are you okay?"

"Now I am." I buried my face into his neck. "I need you."

"I need you too." He said, I felt his hands slowly warming as they ran up and down my back. "You have no idea how much I need you right now."

"What happened?" I pulled back and looked at his troubled face.

"Nothing, I've just been a wreak without you." He was lying, but I brushed it aside.

"I want you to take me away." I said, standing on my tiptoes and kissing him roughly.

"Where?" He asked when I let him breath.

"The only place you can."

There was no hesitation when he pulled me closer and kissed me, our bodies so tight together there wasn't an inch between us. I undressed him, letting his cloths hit the bottom of the shower and stepping over them to get closer. When he was completely naked I jumped and straddled his waist, wrapping my legs tightly around him. He fell back and leaned against the wall, I forced him onto the little sitting ledge that took up half of the shower space.

When he was sitting, I took his face in my hands and kissed him so passionately that I became dizzy. We kept muttering 'I love you' so much that I wanted to get to proving it. My body responded to the hardness in the center of his lap. It was so foggy that steam was rolling off our bodies. I tried to situate myself because I didn't think that I could take another moment without him inside of me, something that would make me feel complete. Making love to him in a shower that belonged to someone else. My blood rushed with excitement.

"Wait." Edward's strong hands gripped my waist, holding me suspended above him. "I want to do this the right way, not in a shower."

I almost objected, but before I could open my mouth he was scooping me up and taking me away from the hot mist. He didn't even bother turning the water off as we stepped out, he kicked open the bathroom door and brought me to the bed in the center of the room. My heart was going supernova as he lay me down and looked me over. The steam was still rolling off of my skin as I lay there, the water dripping off of us onto the bed, and looking up at him told me that this was going to be different. He disappeared to the bathroom again, to go turn the water off I guessed, and then came back with a teasing smile on his face.

"Take me away, Edward." I commanded impatiently, trying to be good and stay where I was. "I need you to make all of this disappear."

I watched him crawl onto the bed at my feet and inched his way up my body, stopping at the most devastating places to kiss me lightly. He ran his tongue up my stomach, between my breasts and stopped at my collarbone. My toes were curling involuntarily. I lifted my head to meet his lips, too impatient now to wait for him. But he dodged my lips and kissed my cheek lovingly, my heart shuddered and almost stopped at the contact. His lips traveled up my jaw line and then to the hollow below my ear.

My fingers were clawing into his shoulder blades, he arched his back pressing against me as I raked my nails all the way down to his lower back. I felt, for one blissful moment, all of his glory press against my core. A sharp intake of air sounded from both of us, but then he was pulling away. Frustration burned through my eyes into his, he smiled down at me and cocked one eyebrow.

"Why?" Was all I could say, I was already breathless.

"Shhhhh." He leaned down and nuzzled his nose to mine. "Just trust me, and give me the control here."

"I-"

"No no." He finally kissed me, just a peck on the lips then whispered in my ear. "Trust me."

I closed my eyes and tried to relax, taking myself away from the need to take over. His hands were smoothly traveling over every inch of my body, leaving a tingling sensation trailing behind them. He was back at my feet, kissing my ankles all the way up to my inner thigh. I opened my eyes in time to see him look up at me and give me an expression that was completely new to me. It was the sexiest thing that I had ever seen anyone shoot my way. His hazel eyes were intense and mysterious, narrowing so perfectly and he was looking through his lashes at me.

I smiled back at him, challenging. A dare. I wanted his sweet wondrous mouth there at my core, taking me where time didn't matter. He shook his head at me and then started to trace the outline of my hips with his pointer finger and his middle finger. I arched up to his touch, starting to get frustrated at him again. But then he was taking his fingers and getting closer to… Oh god! A chill went through my body as he deepened his fingers into me, a little cold for the inside. But I welcomed it wholly, a moan escaping my lips. I looked back down at him and he was studying my reaction, the same sexy gaze as before.

I spread my legs apart just a little more and threw my head back when he started moving his fingers in a motion that was going to shatter my soul. He never missed a beat when he started to kiss me up my body again, stopping at my stomach. He rested his forehead on my abdomen and I felt his hot breath coat my belly. All the more reason to go crazy underneath him, I was in his complete and total power and mercy. He could do anything to me right now, or even ask for anything, and I would jump to the task. But he never did.

"Baby!" I groaned, I felt the tip of his tongue slide across my stomach and he looked up at me. I closed my eyes because I knew if I saw that look one more time it would be the end of me.

"Hm?" His wordless question made vibrations dance across my skin.

I bit my lip against the scream that was trying to push its way out. I took a chance and glanced down at him again and became caged in his glare. Hypnotized. My breath was shallow and hasty, as if I had been running mile upon mile. I tangled my fingers into his hair and gripped it tight, in his response he bit me on my waist. So we were going to play rough? I could do rough. Enough with binding my control. I put my hands on his shoulders and lifted him off of me enough to sit up. One of his hands caught my right hip while the other continued doing miracles.

Edward leaned into me and caught my lips in a tango with his, trying to push my back down onto the bed. But I held my place, grabbed his left hand on my hip and then his right and pulled him out of me. I tried to push him on his back but he wrestled against it, kissing me still. I stretched his legs out forcing into a sitting position and straddled him while he sat there stubbornly, sitting so forcefully that I finally got what I wanted when he entered me. He was so hard that it felt like a stab at first because of the power I put behind the thrust.

We both gritted our teeth and then exhaled in a exotic puff. Edward looked at me, his eyes flashing and his breath rough and shallow. He gripped my hips so tightly that it hurt, but the pain was exhilarating and so delicious that I was beginning to crave it. I rode him hard, hoping that he was enjoying the sting as much as I did. Sweat was already washing over my body, and I felt it on him as well. I scratched his back, this time raking it with all of my strength. He bit my shoulder, holding back his own yell of ecstasy.

Then, with strength I had no idea how he mustered up, he jerked me off of the bed and held me by the waist. I held onto his shoulders as he stood and then he slammed me against the wall. My head was protected by his quick right hand, but my back and ass got the most contact. I wrapped my legs around his waist like before and his hands held me in place as he began to pump into me, slowly. This time I did scream, a moan so loud that there was no way that it hadn't wrapped around the house.

He brought one of his hands and covered my mouth with three fingers. I took his middle one with my own hand and kept eye contact as I sucked on it, teasing. He had to take his hand back to hold me more firmly, and then started to quicken his rhythm. My nails dug into his shoulder blades again and I buried my face into his neck and nipped it. He groaned loudly, his deep voice cutting through the air. I leaned back and then caught his face in my hands and kissed him, biting his lower lip.

A gust of his panting breath broke into my mouth and I inhaled it, feeling high as if it were a drug. I felt his left hand travel up my body from supporting me against the wall and I had to hold myself up by gripping the edge of the bed nearby with my feet. The hand that was cradling my head went to my hip, while the other one traveled to my right breast and started to fondle it. In a motion that drove me to the brink of insanity, Edward brushed his lips down my neck, shoulder, collarbone, and to the breast that he was working on. His tongue ran across my nipple and then his took it into his mouth. I felt my head involuntarily jerk back and a moan escape from me. His pumping rhythm slowed again.

When I pulled myself together the best I could I reluctantly wove my fingers through his hair and pulled him back. The expression on his face surprised me, angry that I was still trying to control his torture. I scowled at him playfully, and then brought my right hand down to myself, starting to rub on my clit and only benefiting myself when a yet another screaming moan escaped me. But this wasn't my plan. I took my other hand to his penis and took it out of me.

"What are you doing?" Edward said, his voice thick and groggy.

I hushed him and worked on myself, knowing what the result was going to be. Edward watched me in wonder as I appeared to please myself against the wall, supporting me by putting his hands on my hips. I held his shaft in my hand, still hard as stone and pulsating, waiting for what it wanted. Then took my hand away from him and shoved my fingers into me to check if I were ready. The walls of my insides were pumping, welcoming my fingers almost forcing them to enter, sucking them in. I was ready to pay him back for the torture.

I took his shaft into my hand and while continuing to rub my clit I allowed him to enter only half way into me. I held him steady, feeling my core pulsate wanting him to get to work. I looked into his eyes and saw that they were closed, his jaw clenched and he was straining, concentrating.

"Shit." He groaned, his breath quickening. "Oh baby!"

I moaned, nuzzling my face into his neck when I felt the full intensity of my vagina trying to take him in. I could feel his breath flutter my hair as it quickened still. I started to kiss him, biting his neck and then sucking the spot so the pain would be more intense. I knew that I was torturing him, his entire body was tense under me and he fought against thrusting so he could enter wholly. I could feel myself come for him, getting wetter and making the task that much more harder to bare. What surprised me even was the malicious laugh that escaped my mouth, malicious but sexy and inviting. Did that really come from me?

"Baby, I cant." Edward grunted, his grip tightening on my hips. "Your so wet!"

I tried to hush him again but Edward spun me around so fast that I felt dizzy for a split second, then I was thrown back on the bed. His hips opened my legs further and he was bringing my hips up to meet his, pumping faster then he ever did before. I threw my head back, lost in the moment, and then became surprised that the squeal out of my mouth came from me. I couldn't stop myself from moaning loudly, like Edward couldn't stop killing me with every inch of contact between us. I seized up, coming to the climax with everything in me. When I felt him come inside of me the sensation was luscious, warm, like melting chocolate between my thighs.

But he kept pumping, his eyes closed again in concentration, just as hard as he was to begin with. He brought me to my second… then third… then fourth orgasm. The flow of his persistent coming kept turning me on. But after we reached our fifth time, his body went limp on top of mine. Then he rolled off of me, both of us so out of breath talking wasn't an option.

I felt around for the sheets, then found them and covered myself keeping my legs free because of the heat. The coolness of the soft fabric was almost as beautiful as the warmth from Edward. I looked over at him and offered him the sheet, covering him when he didn't respond. He was looking at the ceiling in a daze that I didn't feel I had the strength to snap him out of. Not even with my voice. I sighed and turned to lay on my stomach, it was hard enough to move without having to use what was left of my might.

I adjusted the sheet so it would cover only my backside, then folded my arms and lay my head on them. I was facing away from Edward when my eyes started to drift shut, then I felt one of his hands smooth my hair to the back of my head and then his fingers comb through the mess. This pushed me into an overwhelming relaxation, I was almost knocked out when he decided to talk.

"You okay?"

"Yeah." I breathed, my voice was hoarse.

"I love you, baby."

"I love you too… Are you okay?"

"I'm perfect."

I turned to face him and smiled. "I know."

There was a pause, then Edward smiled widely. "Your so lame."

I smacked him on the chest and we broke out in a fit of laughter. His pointer finger traced my jaw line and then my lips, I kissed the tip of it. He cuddled against me, his right leg wrapping around my left one. His body was flush against mine, it felt perfect, like the finishing piece of a puzzle. I could feel his warm breath caress my face, his lips only an inch from mine. I wanted to fall asleep like this and wake up in some far away paradise. We repeated I love yous and argued about who was really the perfect one, giving valid reasons each one more tempting then the last. Then we lay there in silence, completely content…

I must have drifted off to a light sleep because the next thing I remembered was hearing the door creak open. I opened my eyes and turned my head to see what or who it was, and saw Jill Valentine standing in the door looking at us as if we were two crazy kids. She looked amazing, more feminine then the last time I saw her. I opened my mouth to apologize, this was one of the rooms in her house after all, but she stopped me.

"I hate to interrupt the promise of hearing more of you two love birds downstairs," She said quietly. "But we have a child in the house, and that child's father just gave us the call."

I sat up so fast that I had to pause to collect the sheets around me and stop my head from spinning. "Shit, I forgot about that."

I heard Edward mumble something and looked back at him, he was half asleep patting the spot I had just been laying in search for me. I grabbed his hand and shook him awake, he looked surprised to see Jill there when he adjusted himself into a sitting position. He quickly made sure that he was covered and then looked back at her quizzically.

"Sorry trooper," Jill told him. "Fun time is up. We got the call from the doctor and we have to get moving soon. Chris and Claire are downstairs trying to find the best route to the helicopter we're going to… catch."

I noticed the hesitation before she said 'catch.' But rather then ask her I had to get ready to see the plan myself. "Okay," I told her. "You wouldn't happen to have anymore cloths would you?"

"Could I catch a quick shower?" Edward asked.

"Quick." Jill told him, then turned back to me. "There is a walk in closet in the bathroom, help yourself to whatever."

She left then, and I turned to Edward who was smiling at me and gave me a wink before he stood up and walked back to the bathroom. I followed him and didn't need the invite to join. We didn't really mess around, Edward was ready to go but I told him that it would have to wait and continuously batted away his eager hands. We did have fun washing each others hair and I even helped him get his back. We quickly rinsed off and then grabbed towels. He whistled at me when I propped up a leg to dry it. I rolled my eyes and then winked mockingly.

I started to examine the cloths in Jill's closet and was surprise to see one that topped my own. She had to at least have three times as many cloths that I did and that was a shit load. I began to fight my way through her selection, finding things that I couldn't ever imagine myself in, or Jill none the less. I heard the closet door open more widely by the creek of it and turned to see Edward there, only in boxers.

His body was so… SO amazingly beautiful and perfect that after seeing it so many times before I was breathless for at least five seconds. He had a toe curling appearance, his abs were just how I liked them, not too out there or buff. Just right. The boxers hanging off of his hips showed his hipbones that had a chiseled and defined line that traveled downward to just where I liked to be. And his happy trail… Damn! Nicely taken care of and gracefully inviting. His shoulders still wet from the shower, this had to be my favorite feature of him. Okay… everything was my favorite. He was my favorite.

"What are you doing?" Edward asked, walking over to me slowly and looking at all of the cloths.

"I don't know, why would I be in a closet? Hmmm." I pulled a mock confused expression.

Edward smiled at me, getting closer. "I think you look just fine this way."

I didn't say a word as he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me closer. I wanted to resist and tell him that we had no time, but the power was wearing thin and I found that I couldn't open my mouth to tell him to beat it and let me get ready. He took one of his fingers and let it trail down my body and then down to my core yet again. In a compulsory action my body responded on its own, my legs opened to welcome him. But he just quickly swiped his finger across the surface and then brought it up to his line of sight.

"Baby, your still wet." He smiled.

I looked down to see, after all of the shenanigans that we had been through, that he was still hard. "Baby, your still ready for me."

"What do you say to a quickie?"

"A _quickie_!" I told him sternly, which didn't really work so well when I laughed at the end.

He needed nothing else. Yet again I was being swept off of my feet and carried to the bedroom. I invited it despite my better judgment and started to kiss and nip at his neck seductively. He threw me on the bed again and I laughed as he jumped on as well. He chuckled as he climbed up my body again. His boxers forgotten. We wasted no time.

I surprised myself with the strength I had left in me to participate instead of just laying there and letting him spoil me. He caged me underneath him, pumping madly, saying things that made my heart race with excitement. I held onto the bedpost and arched my back against him to make it easier. I was just beginning to reach my first climax when the sound of the door creaked open yet again and I looked over.

I froze when Jill walked in again, but couldn't feel guilty along with the ecstasy I was feeling at the moment. I breathed her name and Edward lifted his head from my shoulder and looked at me puzzled, I looked back at the door to point it out. I was surprised at his reaction, turned on actually.

Edward looked at Jill in the doorway, never slowing down with our thing, never stopping his rhythm. He cradled his head on my shoulder again and brought up one hand that was holding my hips steady, and put a single pointer finger up. Telling her to wait. He kept pumping, and another feeling of excitement broke over me. In front of Jill? She was just standing there, her arms folding and looking at us impatiently. But it didn't phase Edward, which made me become unaware of her presence myself. His hands were back on my hips and lifting them to pump harder. I reached my orgasm yet again just as he came inside of me, our moans as loud as ever. Our bodies were limp, only for a moment.

Edward gave me a swift kiss, covered me and then himself and turned to Jill, digging into one of my jean pockets on the floor for a cigarette. We were both silent until his lit it and took a drag, god this man was sexy. Really fucking sexy. I looked over at Jill and could tell she was thinking differently, her arms were still crossed as before and she was staring at the back of Edwards head scowling.

"Really?" Jill said, sounding annoyed.

"Yes, really… We're on our way." Edward told her, turning to her and there eyes locking.

I wondered what was said between them silently as I walked into the closest that Jill had told me about and quickly grabbed a pair of jean shorts that ended up being really short but easy to move in, a black tank that fit comfortably but hugged my figure, and some sweet leather combat boots that reached up to my knees. Much like the ones Jill had on. I grabbed my old jacket that had bullets back in the room and tied it around my waist again, noticing it was heavier.

"I found some shotgun bullets for you and put a few grenades in there." Edward explained, pulling a new shirt over his head.

I walked over to him and gave him a quick kiss. "Thank you baby!"

"Your welcome_ baby._" He overexerted the word in a cute way and smiled.

He had put on the jeans that he had before, which were a little wet from the shower, but the shirt he pulled on was much like the last but black. I looked him over and then looked down at myself and almost felt the urge to go and change. We almost matched, same coloring at least. But there was no time for a change, so when he grabbed his weapons and I had mine we headed out of the bedroom and made our way down the stairs. Before we hit the landing Edward stopped me and turned me to him, then looked me up and down.

"You look sexy by the way." He told me. "Your so beautiful."

I smiled at him and gave him a kiss, when I pulled back the look on his face irked me. He wasn't telling me something, but me intuition was telling me that I would either find out later or I definitely didn't want to know right now. I listened and turned from him before I was tempted to ask anyway. We walked into the kitchen and Alexia was on a stool with her head in her hands watching Claire, Leon, and Jill hover over a map.

They all turned when they heard us approach.

"Well well… Nice to see Mama and Papa Bear come out of hibernation." Leon said with a sly smile. "Welcome back to the present."

"I was worried that the two of you might not find time to join us." Claire said, smiling as well but had a hint of blush color her cheeks. When she blushed she looked like a porcelain doll, it was cute.

Jill took the map away from the other two and walked to us to lay it on the bar so we could see. "Okay… So, we've decided on this route. Its faster and safer, with the five of us we'll get there pretty quickly as long as no one loses the group. We have to stick tight, Alexia will settle in the middle of us."

"But there's only one small problem." Leon said, stopping on the other side of the bar and looking at us serious now. "The chopper that we are set to catch is sort of… well, not for us at all-"

"Not counting the fact that this city is limited on time completely." Claire pitched in from beside of Alexia. When the other two looked at her she shrugged. "Mind as well get it all out so no one is surprised."

"What do you mean 'the city is limited on time'?" Edward looked around at all of their faces, trying to read them.

"She means," Jill said with a sigh. "That the city is going to blow at dawn… We have until then to get out of here, or we go with the whole place."

"Wait." I held up my hand. "Who's going to blow up the city?"

"Umbrella… or so we think."

Realization dawned on me. "They're going to cover all of this up like it never happened and blame it on something else-"

"A leak from a nearby plant no doubt." Jill agreed. "Of course."

"What did Ashford say?" Edward asked.

"He told us to get the hell out of here by dawn or we'll all be toast." Leon told us. "The chopper is supposed to leave an hour before the switch is flipped. Which means we have…" He checked his watch. "About two hours to infiltrate and get onto that bird."

"Depending on how far the walk is, and what we might find on the way it would only take an hour tops." Edward said confidently. "I mean, we're a well oiled machine."

"Nice boost, but I believe we might be pressed for time." Jill disagreed. "This isn't going to be as easy as it sounds."

"Well then lets make a plan." I said, looking around at all of them meaningfully. "A flawless one."


	19. Chapter 19

We were ready and I felt more confident in our intentions then before. I felt like part of a S.W.A.T team, the way that the five of us surrounded what we were protecting, Alexia. The way that we were all on perfect guard and had our weapons at the ready. I was watching the back of the group as we made our way out of the neighborhood, feeling a little worried that Val was in the front so far away. But seeing as she was an excellent shot everyone recommended it. Alexia was holding onto the belt loop on Val's shorts, it looked natural as if this is how they got around before.

Claire was to my right, looking down a nearby alley and then tightening back into her post. She glanced at me for a moment and smiled then nodded. I looked away, seeing something in my peripheral vision in a house close to us. It looked like someone had been looking through the window behind the curtains and then shut them quickly when I looked in that direction. I stared for five seconds longer then I should have, and saw nothing again.

"Valerie, are you okay?"

I turned around when I heard Leon say this, Val had stopped and was gripping her stomach as if she were in pain. Then, like in the stairway back at the hospital, she collapsed. Leon caught her before I could get there, and I kneeled down to scoop her up. Like before beneath her skin it looked like worms were rising from her wrists and making their way up her arm. I called her name and got no response, her eyes were drifting shut and her skin was becoming paler.

"What's going on?" Jill asked from above, sounding worried.

"Its what they did to her." I told them all quickly, I could see Alexia in the middle looking genuinely concerned. "The experiments."

"Spencer." Leon said, almost spitting the name out angrily.

"Yeah, that bastard."

I looked back down at my angels face and then tried to gently shake her awake. Her eyes beneath her lids were moving back and fourth and then fluttered open. She jumped out of my arms and stood so quickly that it looked inhuman. Val's eyes were darting around the streets, looking frantically for something that had probably been in another vision. Then she saw me and her eyes started to water… She looked to Jill and then to Claire slowly, starting to shake her head and back away.

"Valerie." I stood and walked toward her cautiously. "What did you see?"

"Carlos…" Val shook her head and looked at Jill again. "Oliviera."

I looked at Jill in time to see her eyes lighten and her expression turn to stone. "Where is he?" She asked.

Val shook her head, and then looked back at me. "You failed." She told me, a tear running down her right cheek. "You tried to protect me from facing him myself and you failed. It's still going to happen. I have to fight him… This Carlos is there and…"

Jill walked forward and stopped closely in front of Val, there eyes were locked together and I could see that Valerie's were a little out of focus. Then suddenly she blinked and shook her head more roughly, then looked at Jill seeming surprised that she was so close. Jill put her hands on Val's shoulders and studied her eyes more intensely and then nodded, turning away and looking at us.

"She's going through the pre-stage of being flipped on," Jill told us and then turned back to Val. "When they turn you on we'll all see what you can really do. The DNA running through your blood system is trying to play host to your body, its trying to overtake and get used to it. When it does you will become superhuman, you have to try to remember who your enemies are because it might become difficult. I'm guessing what you just saw was when your going to be turned on, and Spencer will be the one to flip the switch."

"When is it going to happen Val?" I asked quietly, my heart was racing and I felt truly afraid for whatever she saw to come true.

She looked at me and hesitated for a few seconds, then looked at her feet. "Soon."

"Can she turn on us?" Claire asked, looking Val up and down and examining her as if they had just met.

"I don't think that is what she's going to be used for. I think that Spencer made her and her brother to see who will turn out more superior. It's just going to be a test drive to see who will survive." Jill said.

"I end up doing it… Alone." Val said.

"Don't be afraid." Leon told her. "Your going to get through this, we all will. We have to get out of here."

"Yes, but if I'm the one to get through it… Then it means that I have to kill my brother."

There was a long silence, and then Alexia walked through all of the adults straight up to Val and held out her tiny hand. Val looked surprised, and then reached down to take it. "Your brother died," Alexia said matter-of-factly. "I am sorry that he did, but he died a long time ago. He was probably sleeping and went in peace. What ever that thing is that you have to fight isn't your brother anymore."

I felt a small pang of panic when I looked up to Val's face to see her expression to what this little girl just said. Val's face relaxed from its anxiety but her eyes still looked like they were in pain. She leaned down to Alexia and brought her little hand to her lips and gave it a kiss. And then gave the hand back to its owner, smiling brightly.

"Your right." Val agreed, looking like she was trying desperately to believe it. "Thank you darling."

After a few minutes Val had caught her breath and she was good to go. I fell guilty of watching her more then I was watching my post, but nothing ever seemed to be coming our way. Soon. The way she had said the word kept running through my mind, consuming it. I couldn't understand why she would have to be the one to defeat Phil… I couldn't understand why Phil was still alive. His pulse, there had been none at all. I had been leaning over his motionless body for at least five minutes before being able to move away.

"Stop." I looked over to see Claire watching me, she leaned over to whisper now. "If you worry yourself sick then you wont have a clear head for what's coming up."

I shook my head at her and decided against replying. I glanced back at Val again and wondered what she was thinking about, a first for me. I could only see the back of her head, which prevented me from seeing her face or at least her eyes. It was easy to read her eyes. Sooner then I thought we were back at the fence, the smell of burning flesh still clinging to the air. Leon took Alexia on his back over the fence and then everyone followed. I locked eyes with Val for a few seconds once on the other side, but it didn't last long enough for me to give any kind of comfort.

"Jill!" It was Alexia who yelled.

I whipped around and saw a zombie before it was dropped to the ground by a shot from Val. Jill thanked her quickly and then told us to form ranks again so we could get going. Only two minutes out of the neighborhood I could see that we had left the easy challenges behind. We ran into groups and groups of the undead, fighting to take them out before they closed around us. To save my bullets I shot my share in the head, only allowing a bullet for each out of my machine gun if I could get away with it. I knew that something much bigger and more difficult would be coming up. Soon.

When we ran into dogs and then a group of five overgrown and lethal looking insects it became harder to keep up the fight. Rather then holding our positions, we had to spread out to keep from being attacked as a whole. Val's shotgun fought off the dogs and Jill took the grenade launcher that she had to the insects. With help from the rest of us the last of the creatures lay dead on the ground within what felt like five minutes. But ended up being ten by Leon's watch.

We started to walk again and because I was again glancing at Val I noticed Jill nonchalantly gripping her right side with her left hand. She was walking just fine, but the grip on her side was alarming, I couldn't decide whether to make it known to the others or just wait and let it reveal itself later. It was only when I saw her wince that I made my decision.

"Wait everyone." I said, they all stopped and turned to me. I took a few steps toward Jill and saw the annoyance in her eyes before I grabbed the hand on her side and forced it away. It took some wrestling but I finally got it away and looked down. "That's what I thought. We need a herb for you."

"Damn it Edward, I'm perfectly fine. I could make it until we do find one." Jill told me.

Leon was at my side. "Let me see it Jill."

"Its nothing." She insisted, but I held her hand away from what looked like a deep gash in her side. "One of those insects just got me before I could get it. I barely feel it until I make wide movements."

"Is it numb?" I asked, thinking of a poison that could have come from the mutated things.

She seemed afraid of this question, but nodded slowly. Ironically, after she did this, she began to sway and I helped Leon catch her. I got some of her blood on my arm as I helped a protesting Jill into Leon's arms. We all followed as he took her into a nearby alleyway and sat her against the cold brick to an apartment building. I felt a strange concern and disturbance for Jill as she lay propped there and paled faster then I had seen anyone change skin color before. This stranger had become a friend in a short time after all, even though I could feel tension and annoyance between Jill and I more then anyone else. I couldn't help but worry.

"Jill, what are you feeling?" Leon asked sternly. "The truth."

"Dizzy. Tunnel vision." Jill muttered, her voice groggy. "Hurry."

For some reason Leon looked at Val and then at Alexia pointedly, then Val looked down at the girl herself and then shook her head. Leon nodded and then stood up and looked at all of us, his face serious and almost grave.

"We need to find her an herb. I'll stay with her, Edward and Valerie team up and look for the nearest health you can find. Claire, you take Alexia with you I know you'll take care of her. Hurry, I think that the poison is spreading fast. If worst comes to worst we have a backup plan." He looked at Val again and she nodded.

We all quickly agreed with Leon then Val lead me away at a jog. I could tell that she was worried about Jill just as much as I was, and we didn't talk while we searched. I agreed to run up a flight of stairs a few alleys away to check the landings for the plant while she checked the ground thoroughly. I made it to the top and finally found a red and a green plant, the pots sitting close together. I remembered that I didn't know what the actual plant looked like, but the leaves looked similar to the ones that Val had chewed for me when I needed it. I grabbed both plants, heavier then I thought they were, and carried them back down. I met Val at the bottom and she looked over what I brought, agreeing that they looked similar, and we rushed back.

When we got there, Claire and Alexia were still gone, Leon was whispering something to Jill and she was nodding weakly. I full out ran beside of Val and we got to them quickly, showing Leon the plants.

"Good job!" Leon said, setting the pots down and tearing off the leaves. "Red too, it'll heal her more quickly and make the tissue stronger."

"I think I should chew them up." Val told him, leaning down and holding her hand out for what he tore off. "I think something in my spit helped Edward heal faster last time. If she has poison then it will help her fast as well."

Leon didn't question her at all before he handed them over. I watched from what felt like a sky view of them down on the ground, Val pulling a face as she chewed, and Leon smoothing Jill's hair from her now sweaty face. Val told Leon to take Jill's shirt off, and Leon had a difficult time because he didn't want to hurt her. When he managed, Val spit what she had chewed in her hand and then shoved some more into her mouth. While she was chewing that batch she began to spread the now brown looking paste on Jill's wound.

"Jill, stay with us." Leon said, feeling her forehead. "She's burning up. Jill can you hear me?"

I watched Jill's face relax from a grimace and the paleness made her look like a corpse. I froze as Leon checked her pulse when she didn't respond to him at all. "Her pulse is faint. Valerie, you have to hurry. Put it in there as deep as you can."

Val spit what was left of the brown paste into her hand and continued to spread it over the wound that seemed to be getting deeper. I knew that it was my mind that was playing tricks on me, but I was worried almost to the point of panic. Then Leon was saying that he couldn't feel a pulse and Val was looking up at me, expectant. As if I could solve all of their problems. I started to move uneasily and then I dropped down to the ground and nearly shoved Leon out of the way.

"Keep spreading it Val." I told her, taking Jill's limp body and laying it on the damp ground. I knew CPR. Thank god for all of the lessons that I went through with mom, lessons that I thought would never be useful.

I put my ear to her mouth first and couldn't hear any breathing, which sent a genuine jolt of panic through me. Without hesitation I took both hands and started pumping five times on her chest. Then, lifting her chin slightly, I put my mouth to hers and blew. I felt her chest lift under my left hand and then my breath came in a slow gust out of her mouth. I continued the pattern, seeing Claire and Alexia arrive in the corner of my eyes. Val eventually finished spreading and sat there, watching Jill's stony face in shock. I pumped, I blew, I pumped, I blew, I pumped, I blew.

"Keep her going." Val told me. "Edward, keep her going. It's healing now."

I did, becoming more and more desperate with every breath I blew down into Jill's lungs. I started to speak out loud to her, begging her to wake up, to breath, or show any sign beside the wound healing that she was going to make it. I felt a single tear run down my cheek and saw Val's wet face and quickly looked away. Then, by some miracle that I would never understand, Jill was breathing on her own. I checked her pulse and it was weak, but strong enough. Her eyes were still closed.

"Jill?" Leon said, leaning down again and putting a hand on her hip to shake her. Still no response. "It's the poison. The herb is keeping it at bay, but its not completely gone."

"Meaning?" Val asked.

"We have to get it out of her system." I said, thinking fast.

I reached down to one of Jill's boots she had on and slid a knife out of it carefully. I kneeled quickly beside of her and saw a faint line where the rest of the wound had just healed. Without any hesitation I slit it back open and a mixture of blood and green liquid started to pour. The smell was worst then the burning zombies earlier and I heard everyone else protesting and gasping. I squeezed as much as I could out of her and then looked up at Val. She nodded.

I slid my hands underneath Jill and lifted her up, then put my mouth to the wound on her side. I took a long drawl from her and when my mouth was full I turned away and spit. Nausea started to pulsate thorough me as I repeated my actions, and by the third round I was fighting against throwing up. By the fourth I could taste the clean blood and I gently set her down and weakly stood and found a corner to let loose. I threw up twice and then stood there, my breathing labored. Jill started to wake up and I watched her open her eyes, relieved that it had worked.

I stood in the background as everyone crowded around her and asked questions, wanting to know how she felt. I listened to her whisper that she was fine and then watched as she closed her eyes again to relax, clinching her side with both of her hands. Exhausted, I leaned against the nearby wall and let myself slide down and sit on the floor. I closed my eyes to relax as well, and then I felt someone sit beside me and looked to my left.

"Baby, you did so well!" Val told me, getting closer and cuddling up. "Are you okay?"

"There for a minute I thought that she would die." I told her honestly. "And I panicked."

"Me too." She said, kissing me on the cheek. "But you saved her."

I sighed and Val rested her head on my shoulder, I scooped her up to a sitting position on my lap. She played with my hair as I nuzzled my face into her neck, inhaling and smelling gloriously intoxicating smells. I always loved how Val smelled, but since we became a thing and I realized that I was in love her scent had become amazing. Probably one of the great props about being in love with someone. She continued to pick at my hair and I started to rock her back and forth in my lap, hoping to bring comfort to her, but ended up comforting myself as well.

"What are you thinking about?" Val asked.

"I don't want to lose you." I told her without hesitation. "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you about Phil. It was hard enough just to do it then have to tell you that I did. Then, you said that I failed and…" I shook my head. "If I lose you then it'll be my fault."

I felt her hands leave my hair and frame my face, bringing it up so I could look directly into her eyes. "Edward, I want you to know that whatever happens from now until we get out of here. _We… _I want you to know that I love you, and ask you one thing."

"Name it."

"When it comes to me fighting in the end, when I have to face what is left of my brother…" I watched her green eyes narrow intensely. "You have to let me do it alone, I think that it is the order of things. I think that it will be the only way that I can defeat him."

I stared back into her eyes and wanted to object, tell her that I fought him before and it took all three of us to put him down. But I couldn't bring myself to do it, because something in Val's eyes told me that I would have to grant her this. I was going to just sit back and watch it go down without making a move at all. I didn't have to agree to let her do this on her own because something made me sure that it was going to happen either way. The cutting edge fact of it pissed me off, and I opened my mouth to tell Val how I felt but Claire was walking over to us.

Still locked in Val's eyes I could only see the familiar shade of red hair out of the corner of my eyes kneeling down beside of us. "Edward…"

I ripped myself away from the beautiful shade of green that was still full of hypnosis and looked at Claire to see what she had to say. I raised an eyebrow at her and waited.

"Thank you for thinking so quickly." Claire told me with admiration. "Jill will be up and ready to go in half an hour. If it isn't interrupting anything she would like to see you so she can thank you herself."

Val was out of my lap and standing before I could look at her to get an answer and she held out her hand to help me up. I took it, but pulled myself up, and then gave her a quick kiss when I was standing. Her right hand quickly swept my hair back, smoothing it out, and then she looked at the group around Jill pointedly. I sighed and made my way slowly to receive gratitude that felt out of place after Val and my conversation.


	20. Chapter 20

I followed Edward back to Jill, keeping my hand on his lower back to assure him that I was there. When Alexia and Leon stood to give us room, I could see Jill laying there still pale but looking much better then she had before. When Jill saw Edward standing over her a very pretty and gentle smile played across her face and then disappeared. I wondered if Edward noticed it, and thought that he missed out if he didn't. I knew Jill's personality well already and noted that he would probably never get anything that sweet from her again.

Edward kneeled down next to her and I rested my hand on his shoulder. I couldn't see his face, so I didn't know what he was feeling at the moment and it bothered me. The conversation we had before this bothered me. But Jill was holding out one of her hands to Edward and he took it, her hand small in his. Probably still too weak to hold them up, she rested their intertwined hands on her stomach. I felt my teeth grit involuntarily despite the fact I knew that there was nothing more that could come from this.

"You saved my life." Jill told Edward, her voice raspy. She looked at me, "… and so did you."

I smiled at her and Edward positioned himself into a sitting position beside of her, taking her hand from her stomach and laying it between them. Then he took both of his hands and played with hers, stretching her fingers out and smoothing his fingers over her palm and wrist. He stopped to check her pulse for no reason at all, I still couldn't see his face so I didn't know what he was thinking or why he did. Then his head lifted from their hands and back to Jill's face.

"So you owe me one." He told her.

Jill nodded and smiled, humoring him. Edward continued to play with her hand and we stood their silently for a while watching. I knew that they would say nothing else about Edwards heroic action to each other and all that there was left to do would be to wait for Jill to get better. I also knew that what Edward was doing with her hand was what he used to do with mine, but this didn't worry me. I could see potential for a great friendship here, and this is just what I wanted for Edward. If I didn't defeat what was ahead then I would die with the knowledge that he would be left with good people.

It didn't take as long as I thought for Jill to move into a sitting position (Edward sitting beside of her and both of them leaning against the brick, talking in mutters that the rest of us couldn't catch) and then hearing her say that she thought that she was okay to go. I helped Edward stand her up, and then Leon moved forward to wrap his arm around her waist until she caught her balance and took steps on her own. There was something about all of this that made me realize how important Jill was to the group. The way that everyone, myself included, would continuously glance at her for any sign of weakness. Ready to catch her if she fell.

When she proved to us that she was ready, we started to make our way out of the alley. She was moving like before when she had been okay, only slightly a little paler then usual. I took my place between her and Leon at the front of the group and made sure that my handgun was good to go. I felt Alexia slide her finger through one of my belt loops and glanced back at Edward. He was watching me, his hazel brown eyes full of love and worry. If I would have had control over these visions that kept coming to me I would have kept them to myself at the most part. Telling the others only what they needed to know to keep safe.

But when I told them of what I had seen last the words that had flowed from my mouth were uncontrolled. I was aware of them, but I couldn't stop them from coming. Was this how it was going to be from now on? I would have to practice control if I was going to get better at all of this. I could feel that my body was changing, my hormones were going crazy, and the transformation that was happening from inside of me felt like another round of puberty. A powerful one.

Every now and then I could feel a different section of my body twitch, or something in my stomach churn for a moment. I was constantly feeling random doses of adrenaline course through my veins, making me feel like I had previously been running miles or exercising in the gym for hours. I would run fevers that lasted for half a minute at a time, and my vision seemed to be getting sharper and sharper. I was improving and becoming what Jill said that I would, and what Spencer wanted me to be.

Leon was saying something from my right and I could barely concentrate on him with all that was going on in my head and all over my body. Then I felt Alexia's hand leave my belt loop and it snapped me out of my thoughts. I looked around and saw the others advancing and calling for me, Edward was walking forward to grab me and started pulling me off of the street. He led me into a small gap between two buildings that I couldn't get a proper look at in time. The space that we were going for was so small that only one person at a time could walk in. We all squeezed between the walls, Claire holding Alexia in the corner, Leon and Jill pressed together in front of them, and Edward and I pinned to each other.

The space was too small, so Edwards back was exposed still to whatever we were hiding from. We all squeezed together tighter, and I ended up jumping and wrapping my legs around Edwards waist making just enough room for him to be hidden like all of us. He was able to turn us sideways and slide in enough for the shadows from the buildings to wash over us. My back was pressed against the cold brick and my body cramped against his, my bare knees scraping against the other wall. I could feel blood starting to drip down my leg from my knees and I worried the smell would attract what we were hiding from.

I leaned forward so I could get closer to Edwards left ear. "What is it?" I whispered.

I felt his body shift slightly under mine as he leaned to me, and whispered even softer then I had. "Didn't you hear the vehicle?"

"No. I was sort of deep in thought at the moment."

Leon shushed us and we fell silent. I wasn't afraid of what was coming, hiding here was starting to make me feel a little giddy. Like I had so many times in childhood while playing hide-n-go-seek. I was reminded of all the times that Edward and I hid from Phil in small places like this, and wanted to giggle like I had with him then. But the thought of my brother broke my heart and the giddy feeling disappeared. I tried to concentrate on what was happening now so I could slip away from my thoughts. But all that got me was being very aware of how close Edward and I were pinned together.

I lay my head on his shoulder and sighed silently, lately I felt as if all of my feelings and my concentration had become so black and white. My thoughts were always darting from one thing to the other. Edward. The evil around us. Edward. What was ahead. Edward. Possible death waiting around every corner. Edward's body. Edward and sex. Edward pressed against me now. Edwards hands resting underneath me on my upper thighs just below my ass. Edwards chest lifting and falling in a peaceful rhythm. I was pretty sure that my priorities were all fucked up. Honestly, didn't normal people think of sex very last in a city like this? In a situation like mine?

I shifted against him and lifted my head from his shoulder to rest against the wall behind me. I tried to see what the others were doing, but the shadows that we were hiding in were so dark that I could only see very little of their outlines. All jumbled together so I couldn't tell who was who. I could hear the vehicle getting closer to us and I knew that the others were holding their breaths. But I couldn't understand, if it was another survivor then we could tell them about our plan and use the car for a faster escape. But then it could be an enemy.

I felt Edward lean into me again and heard him tell me that he loved me, his breath traveling to my neck. My heart started to pound, doubling the adrenaline I was feeling naturally, from the possible danger that could show at any minute, and the lust I felt for Edward at what couldn't have been more of an incontinent moment. I could see headlights traveling slowly up the street from our left just as Edward began to kiss and nip at my shoulder and collarbone. Instead of batting him away, my fingers wrapped themselves into his hair.

Then he pulled away and I felt my temper start to rise. The headlights were closer, and I knew that the vehicle was going to pass at any second. I wanted to turn my head away so there was no way that the light would be able to reflect off of my eyes and have us spotted, but I held my gaze. A hummer appeared and began to coast by us, we all kept extremely still. But then the thing stopped, and someone was getting out of the driver seat. I could only see man feet walk to the front of the car, the headlights bright and only showing the outline to a tall and muscular looking guy.

Then he leaned down for something that was laying in the street, and I noticed with horror that it was one of my shotgun shell cases and a grenade. It must have fell out of my jacket pocket that I had tied sloppily to my waist after Jill was done using it as a pillow. Edwards grip tightened below me and his body tensed as he noticed what I had. Then the light caught the face of the man that instantly looked familiar to me.

"Carlos!" It was my voice that yelled the mans name that I had seen in my vision. Not such a smart thing to do, but it was out of my mouth before I could stop it.

I was aware of Jill pressed next to us, tensing up and then squirming. I saw the man swiftly aim his gun and take a flashlight from his belt and point it directly in our direction. He spotted only Edward and I who were blocking view of everyone else and for a moment I thought that he would shoot. Then he lowered his gun only a fraction of an inch and told us to slowly get out of the spot we were squeezed into. It took a little longer then it did for us to get into this position, but when we slipped out the others followed. Jill walked forward and greeted him.

"Oliviera! I'm glad we ran into you before we got to the chopper." She told him. "How are you holding up?"

"I lost Nicholi just before I ran into this vehicle. I was actually looking for you, I thought that the Nemesis got to you before I could. I've been searching for a while now." He looked around at all of us. "I see you found some more survivors."

Jill apologized about Nicholi and then introduced us one by one and then stopped at Claire. "And this is Chris's sister, Claire Redfield."

"Ah, finally we get to meet." Carlos said, walking forward to shake her hand and give her an extra kiss there then smiling at her with a charming look. "I've heard plenty about you from your brother. Quite a trooper he tells me."

"I've heard about you as well, Chris always told me to steer clear of your charisma." She said, blushing the shade of her hair.

"He's warned me, believe that." He winked at her.

Jill cleared her throat and when she had Carlos's attention again she updated him on the latest plan to get out of the city. He was all for it, a little overenthusiastic about what we were up against for my taste. I felt my stomach tie up in knots as I watched him and his reaction to most of the things that the others were saying to him. He had such life in him, a great charm and drive to survive. I didn't know what his fate truly was after what I had seen in my vision, but I did know what would happen to him. This is what bothered me now.

When Jill was finished telling him about me and what I had seen he looked over at me with surprise. "You're the one who they made superhuman?"

Everyone looked at him, stunned that he knew about me before our encounter. Edward took a step forward. "What do you mean 'you're the one'? You've heard about her?"

"Yeah." He told Edward, still staring at me. "I found an underground facility that they used to store vaccines from Umbrella under the hospital. I heard voices from a duct and listened in. It was Spencer and someone else, it sounded like a women's voice. They were discussing the moment that they would 'Activate project VP'… The superhuman."

I could see everyone look at me, but I could feel Edward's stare. I didn't want to look at him just yet. "'Activate project VP'?" There was a pause and then Edward and I spoke the at the same time. "Valerie Pagan."

"What else did you hear?" Edward asked him.

"The women, she thought that you would be unreliable." Carlos told me. "That you would fail when they activated you. They argued about it for a while and then mentioned Albert Wesker."

"Wesker?" It was Jill and Edward that spoke together now.

"Yes… but they only mentioned him. No important news about him at all, just that he was still overseas."

"Chris." Claire said, looking at Jill. "He could need backup by now."

Jill nodded and then turned back to Oliveira. "This women, you didn't get a name?"

He shook his head and then a bell rang in my head. I remembered the women that Edward and I had been held at gunpoint by in the hospital in Phil's room. The scarlet women, that's how I remembered her. Mysterious and lethal looking. I looked at Edward and could see that he was thinking along the same lines that I was. We explained the profile of the women and what she looked like to the others. There was only one reaction to what we had said.

"Ada Wong." Leon told us. "Ada is working for Spencer and Wesker?"

"So we all agree that Wesker has something to do with all of this?" Edward asked."Obviously." Jill said, her jaw tightening. "Damnit."

"Okay, so we're up against a dirty cop… a women in a red dress… and a crazed doctor scientist headfuck?" I looked around at all of them and rolled my eyes, feeling cocky. "Peace of cake."

Leon shook his head. "Ada has far more potential then she got credit for. And as for Wesker, we have no idea what he is truly capable of. That holds the same for Spencer."

"Well, whatever they are capable of we've upped them by three steps." I assured all of them.

"I admire your attitude Valerie but this is no time to become unrealistic. If we do get out of here it will be by sheer luck." Jill told me. "Sheer luck and all of the stealth and force that we can muster."

I smiled and turned, walking away a few steps. An extra dose of… well whatever was going on with my body went through me and my mind started going a thousand miles per hour. We weren't only going to get on that helicopter alive and okay, but I was going to beat the nemesis without hesitation. I felt invincible for some reason, but I didn't question it. I let it consume me, and when I turned back to face everyone I was looking at them with new meaning. I was going to get them out, all of them.

"Your looking at a superhuman here." I told them, smiling. "We're going to be just fine. Leave it to me."

After denying all of them, even Edward, access into my thoughts we all piled into the hummer and Carlos started toward our destination. I was sitting on Edwards lap, trying to avoid his eyes. They were so big and sad, I didn't want to see him that way. I knew that he was worried and he had every right to be, but I was confident in what I was and what I was capable of. Even though I hadn't proven myself a superhuman, I knew that it was inside of me. How odd? Odd but magical in a way. Going through something, becoming something, that I never paid mind to ever existing.

It was like I had crossed a border to another world when we had ran across that lawn to the mansion. How had we accepted what had happened so easily? Everything that had happened. It was all becoming so clear now that this was all so unbelievable, just hitting me like a dead weight. I could feel a knot in my chest growing like a cancer. My brother was, would be, really dead. I felt warm tears run down my cheeks and was grateful that there was no source of light in the vehicle as I wiped them away.

The bastards would pay for what they have done. I made a vow to myself there, in that vehicle that was getting closer to our escape. They could blow away an entire city of mistakes, but I would get them in the end. It wasn't over after this, I was sure of it. I looked at Edward quickly and then away again. I couldn't drag him through my revenge. I would have to tell him goodbye in the end. To save him from what I knew I was meant to do. Bring down Umbrella and all that were responsible for this heartache and destruction.

I allowed myself to sulk for what could have been my normal life with Edward. Growing old with him, seeing Italy, possibly raising a family. This was the last thing that I would allow myself to feel weakness over. My brothers death was no longer a tragic depression to me, but a burning vent of frustration and vengeance. I was more then ready to face what was waiting for me.

The hummer was coming to a stop and I looked out of the tented windows and saw a dumpster blocking my view. Carlos announced that we were here and I grabbed the handle to open the door, but Edward's right hand stopped me. I looked at him hesitating before I reached his eyes. He told me he loved me with meaning and then leaned in to give me a passionate kiss. I returned it, but not as heartfelt as I wanted to. I hoped that I wouldn't regret that in the long run. I grabbed the handle and opened the door, hopping out and looking around.

On the other side of the dumpster there was a wired fence that ran up at least ten feet to barbed wire that prevented entrance by climbing. It reminded me of the fences around a prison yard. In the distance I could see towers with spotlights scanning the ground, one of them reaching up to only twenty feet away from us. But this isn't where we were headed. I followed Oliviera and Jill to the other side of the truck and could see a building that had to be fifty stories up.

At the base of the building there were five guards, all of them gathered in the same area around a helicopter. There was our ride, the back was opened waiting for us to board. How convenient. I felt my face shape into a smile. Only five guards? If this is what we were up against, compared to what we had been fighting before it was absolutely nothing.

"Alright." Jill said, looking around at all of us. "We can easily take them out, but its what is in the chopper that could be a potential danger."

"What do you mean?" Claire asked, narrowing her eyes to try and see what Jill was seeing.

"I mean the pilot could call for backup, or Spencer himself could be in there. Either way-"

I started to walk toward where the guards were standing and could hear my name being called by everyone I was leaving behind. I had to blink a few times to get rid of the lines I was seeing in my vision. The colors seemed to all be morphing into a shade of red. I was gripping my shotgun in one hand and my handgun in the other. I couldn't decide weather I was acting on my own rage or if I was under another persons control. What if I had been switched like Jill said I would be?

But then a hint of doubt made itself known in my mind and I knew that I was the one in control. That I had switched myself, and this feeling was absolutely amazing. I was running before I told myself to, all of my actions were coming to me without premeditation. I was just doing it. Then the guards saw me, but before any of them could bring their radios to their mouths I took them down. Blowing away the first one with my shotgun, then the second one with a single shot to the head with my handgun. I busted the third ones head open with the butt of my SG and then took out the fourth one with his own knife. The fifth one tried to make a break for it and I took the knife and threw it at him, hitting him square in the back of his scull. Then everything was silent and I was standing in the midst of five dead _human _bodies. I was without the excuse of them already being dead and walking now. The first five seconds of me standing there was of shock, the second five I started to recollect myself, and then the others were at my side.

I turned and looked at Jill first with a smile on my face to wrap up what I had said to her earlier. She bowed her head to give me credit and then started to search through the bodies. Edward stopped at my side, his face a mixture of awe and excitement.

"You weren't joking." He leaned down and gave me a kiss. "You are a badass."


	21. Chapter 21

I was so amazed by what I had just seen Val do that I couldn't stop staring at her. She had mowed through the guards effortlessly, looking like a lethal ballerina from the graceful moves that she nailed. I felt a huge emotional weight lift from my shoulders, knowing now that I had underestimated the whole situation. I thought that she still looked so fragile and breakable until now. To my defense I hadn't seen her do anything like this before, I saw her as the Valerie that she had always been. But now…

I couldn't help but feel a little bit better about what she would face at the end of all this. I knew that the fact that it was Phil didn't make it any better, but at least now I knew that she had a genuine fighting chance. Val looked up at me with her big bright green eyes and I felt my heart start to race. She was so beautiful, so amazing, so… badass. It was really a huge turn on. I smiled back at her.

"You know your really going to have to put this superhuman stuff aside when you can. It could really hurt my ego." I told her, trying to look serious.

She laughed. "I could have taken you without all of this superhuman stuff. Remember the wrestling matches?"

"You played dirty." I scowled.

"I always do."

I grabbed her and swept her up off of her feet, twirling her around while she lazily smacked me. We were so caught up in our own world and I was happy for these moments. I felt like we were back home just fooling around as usual. The thought of home made my stomach jump, I would see my parents after all of this first. I placed Val on her feet after attacking her with kisses and then looked around. Jill, Leon and Carlos were disappearing into the chopper, Claire was holding Alexia and they were talking quietly.

I turned back to Valerie, opening my mouth to joke about how we had time to sneak away for a minute or two. But she wasn't looking at me, she was looking in the direction of the chopper. Her eyes widened and I watched her pupils dilate as her face went completely blank. I whipped my head around to look at what she saw and my heart dropped. Three more guards were coming out of the chopper with Jill and Carlos who had their hands tied behind their backs. Another three advanced from the side, with a tall and official looking man holding Leon. I didn't need to be told who it was before my jaw clenched painfully.

The man that I knew was the famous Spencer clicked his fingers together and another two guards came out with an elderly man also, his hands behind his back and a gun to his head. I stepped in front of Val to shield her and was surprised that she didn't object. Claire and Alexia started to back away and then the little girl shrieked.

"Daddy!" She started to squirm in Claire's arms but Claire held her close.

"That's right darling." Spencer said, his accent a thick English. "I caught your Daddy talking to Jill Valentine at her residence. Unfortunately the information he shared with you all couldn't help you out of the city. This helicopter was made for one subject and only one. Now I suggest, Ms. Redfield, that you put down the little girl so we can see a happy little reunion…"

When Claire hesitated Spencer took his own gun and pressed it against Leon's head. I wanted to tell her not to hand Alexia over but before I could get anything out before I felt two sets of hands grab my arms from behind. I struggled against them, turning to see where they had Val, but she was still standing there. Looking at the same spot I had seen her look last, her expression blank staring in the distance. I was being dragged away from her frozen form, I looked at Claire in warning but she did nothing. I was thrown down on the other side of Jill. Dr. Ashford was soon forced down on the other side of me.

I looked to Jill and Carlos kneeling to my left, Leon was standing up with Spencer, the doctor to my right. Back where I had been standing before was frozen Val, a peculiar expression on her face now. She looked like she was struggling against an internal battle, but she never moved and no guards came to grab her. Claire was still standing helpless in the middle of it all, holding onto Alexia who looked like she desperately wanted to be with her father. Spencer started to threaten Claire with Leon's life.

"It's as easy as letting her run into her fathers arms. Why would you deny a child that when a mans life was at stake? What if I switched up the playing field?" Spencer handed Leon over to another guard and he was thrown down on the left of Carlos. Then he walked to my right and forced Ashford to stand, pointing the gun at his head now. "Would you keep that protective hold over the child so she could watch her dear old daddy die?"

Claire's eyes widened slightly and her grip on Alexia loosened a little. I couldn't see any way out of this for her and Alexia. There were guards ready to grab her if she made any movement that didn't have to do with giving the little girl up. I looked up so I could read Spencer's face more clearly, but it was blank and calm. I looked back over to Val, hoping to see a spark of life or even a slight movement from her. She had gone back to staring in the distance, no more fight in her expression.

Then everything seemed to slow down. Claire put Alexia to the ground and let her go, Alexia cautiously advanced to her father. A gunshot rang through the eerie silence and my head jerked to my right in time to see Dr. Ashford's dead body slam to the ground. As if carelessly being disposed of. My voice clenched up in my throat and I quickly looked at Alexia, not hearing the shriek that was clearly coming out of her tiny mouth. The smell of fresh human blood overwhelmed me and I tried desperately not to look down to where I could see a puddle of burgundy slowly seeping its way toward me from Ashford's head.

"You bastard!" I heard Claire yell from a distance. "You asshole! I'm-"

I snapped my head up when I heard another crack, terrified that Claire would be joining Ashford on the ground. But it had been a taser gun that had been fired at her, and even though she hit the ground and her body started to twitch as a guard advanced on her, I felt relief run through me. Claire's limp body was drug over to us and she was handcuffed and thrown beside Leon. Alexia started to run back away from everyone, I watched her disappear behind the chopper wanting to shout at her to stop but something else caught my eye.

Val was gone.

"Find her! NOW!" Spencer yelled when he noticed the same thing that I had. "And get that little brat over here!"

The guards started to obey, but before any of them took three steps Val appeared behind the helicopter with Alexia in her arms. There was a lethal and angry look in her green eyes that appeared venomous. Spencer's men paused, looking at each other and then back at him quizzically. My eyes were glued on Valerie, who was looking at everything and everyone with a swift sweep of her eyes and then landed right on Spencer.

"Ah, my beautiful little killing machine." Spencer cooed, and I could see the look of disgust on Val's face. "Our guest of honor… How about handing over the girl so we can get to the real purpose of this madness?"

"You wont touch the girl." Valerie said, her voice full of meaning. "You wont hurt them either-"

"So confident." Spencer interrupted her. "The decision is not your's to make however."

"You have what you want right in front of you… Me. What's the point of keeping all of them hostage? I'll give you your 'epic battle,'" She threw quotation marks in the air when she said this. "But only if you let them go. _Out_ of the city."

"And why would I deny your friends and your…" Spencer began walking toward me, I could see him advancing in the corner of my eye. "Handsome and loving boyfriend," He ruffled my hair and I jerked away from him, anger welling up in the pit of my chest. "A chance to see you fight for your life?"

I looked over to Val and her eyes met mine for only a split second. But in that moment I found myself silently agreeing to something I never thought I would, total silence. She warned me with her eyes to stay put and say nothing. After all, Spencer knew that I would be her one and only weakness. So I couldn't fight like she could, and since I had been disarmed like the rest I was screwed. It wasn't easy to, but right now I would do anything to help her.

"He's not my boyfriend…" She said this so convincingly that my heartbeat dulled slightly. "They're all expendable to me. But for what it's worth, they all helped me to get where I needed to be. Here. So I figure I owe them a favor."

I glanced to my left and could see the shock on everyone's face. Everyone but Jill, she was the least watched as of now and I could see her shoulders moving steadily. Her face was completely calm, and the way she looked at Val now seemed to be with admiration. Val herself didn't give me a second glance, or acknowledge anyone else. Alexia still cradled close in her arms.

"Expendable?" Spencer let a wicked laugh escape him. "That is very brave of you to declare… So if they're so expendable then I believe this wont bother you at all."

I felt the barrel of the gun Spencer had killed the doctor with pressed to my right shoulder blade. Then, before I could brace myself or take a second breath, he pulled the trigger and a pain like I had never felt before darted from the spot and overwhelmed my chest and put knots in my stomach. I fell forward, face first into the concrete, the impact sharpening the pain. My left shoulder burned as I lay there, the cold concrete the only soothing thing I could focus on while I battled to stay conscious. I could feel the wound beginning to pulsate, the ach intensifying.

I lay there in complete shock for what felt like an eternity. My vision hazy, I was slipping. I knew that I wouldn't die from this, so I felt no need to start saying my goodbyes to the world. But I wanted more then anything to stay awake, if they needed me… Then what made everything more real started to slowly pour into my vision. My blood was beginning to puddle around me, I watched it seep closer to my face. A wave of nausea caught in my throat and my head started to spin. Then I realized that I wasn't breathing and slowly allowed myself to take a breath.

There was movement from above and I could hear my name being called frantically. I wanted to tell whoever it was that I was okay, even though I felt far from it. But I couldn't make myself say or do anything. I was trapped in my own pain, mind and body slowly drifting from consciousness. I allowed my eyes to close slowly, and a picture filled the darkness instantly…

I was five again and was playing in the sandbox that I loved to escape to so much. My imagination was vivid and running as I made figures out of the sand. Building people and houses… A kingdom. A little girl was stepping into my box, bare feet and in a white summer dress. Anger flared as she intruded my little world.

_What's your name? _She asked me.

_Edward._

_Do you believe in fairytales Edward?_ I looked up to see two big bright green eyes shine at me, full of excitement.

_Yes._

_Do you believe in nightmares?_

I looked away and smashed a small hand into one of the houses that I wanted to rebuild. _What's your name?_

_Valerie. _

_I don't like nightmares. _As I said this her green eyes dimmed and shifted away to the big castle that I had taken an hour to perfect.

_Me either._

_But if you want to… we can get through them together?_…

Together. Together… they could get through this together, and she needed him. Just as she had then when they had first met. I needed her as well. I forced my eyes open and oddly felt a stinging pain on my cheeks. My vision was blurred and I tried to focus on the figure above me.

"Val?"

"Get up Edward." It was Jill's voice speaking, and I felt a small ting of disappointment. Then confusion.

I obeyed and sat up quickly, my shoulder reminding me that there was more blinding pain. My head spun, and then started registering other noises. Loud noises. Jill helped me up and I turned to see what was going on. Blinking over and over again to catch what was really happening.

Val was fighting the Nemesis. No weapons, hand to hand combat. The strikes so fast that her hands were a blur, and the big guy was taking them without so much as a wince. Chaos surrounded them. Each of the guards were fighting someone. Leon was taking on two at a time, Claire had just beaten down one and grabbed his gun pointing at another. Fires were shot off from Oliveria who had his hands on a gun, and Jill grabbed his hand taking him away from the battle. Away from Val.

On the other side of the chopper where we were well hidden, Jill forced me down to the ground helping me balance so I would remain seated. She took my jacket off, which was extremely painful.

"The bullet went right through your shoulder, thank god." She told me quickly. "Listen, I'm going to have to take off your shirt, I'll cut it so you don't have to lift your arms."

"W-what the hell went down… Wait. We shouldn't be wasting time trying to patch me up-"

"Your going to bleed to death there trooper." She said, giving me a look and I fell silent. "Don't worry about everyone else, they've got everyone covered." She took out a knife and went for my shirt, answering my questions before they were asked. "I had the knife hidden in my boot, got loose, passed it, and tahdah! We all sprang to fight after Val was occupied with her brother. Spencer took off, but I'm pretty sure he's not far from here because there are zombies that have surrounded us and are moving in fast. A city full as a matter of fact. We have little time to board that chopper and get as far away as possible or we're going to die."

"Thanks for the play by play."

With great care, she sliced into the Tee that I was wearing from the bottom and jerked her knife upward, then slowed again at the collar. She put the weapon back in her boot and ripped what was left of the shirt apart. Slowly, she opened the ruined shirt and peeled it off of me. Wading the cloth up she pressed it to each side of the wound. I rested my head on the metal behind me, breathing evenly, listening to the battle that was very few steps away.

"I keep forgetting how old you are." Jill said, as if small talk would ease the tension.

"Whys that?"

"Because look at you." I looked at her to see what she was talking about and saw her staring at my bare chest. "Your possibly the best looking bastard I have ever seen."

"Thanks awkward… Your not too bad yourself. I never asked you if you had some unknown relationship… With someone named Chris maybe?"

Jill looked at me full meaning in her eyes and opened her mouth to say something-

There was a distant sound of another helicopter in the sky and Jill paused and we exchanged a puzzled look. Without another word we stood, and I noticed that the pain was gone only because adrenaline had just replaced it. Was it possible that our time was up?

We advanced from our hiding spot, Jill taking a gun out of the back of her waistband. As she popped a few more guards to the ground, I looked over to see if Val was still holding up. She had two metal rods in her hand that the guards had been armed with and was going at it with Phil. He had a metal strip with a jagged point at the end, near him I could see where he had gotten it. From a pole that seemed to have no use for anything at all. There was a rusted pointy edge from where he ripped the slab off. If anyone would run into it…

Thinking along the same lines Val threw what she had to the ground and kicked the Nemesis square in the chest with enough strength to send him stumbling backward. She repeated it, and with a gruesome impale Phil was punctured through the gut from the rusted edge. Val continued to kick until the monstrosity that used to be her brother hit the pole itself, and the jutted edge of what he had torn off was a foot deep inside of him and had come out of the other side.

I numbly walked forward, realizing that this was a moment where I wanted to be beside of Val, this was the most important… I could see tears leaking from her eyes as she looked up into the single eye of a beast. When I finally stepped in beside of her, I looked from her pain stricken face up into Phil's. There was a glimmer of what he used to be there. He looked down at both of us in sorrow and pain… and love. His face was suddenly swimming in my own tears.

"Phil?" We said it at the same time, Val and I. She was hoping too that there was someway that we could fix him. Maybe reverse the effects. A cure? Anything…

There was applause that was so foreign and made my stomach clutch up coming from behind us. Silence had fallen, something the two of us hadn't noticed in our moment with Phil. As I looked behind us, Spencer showed his sorry ass, hands clapping, Alexia in his arms. An anger like no other built in my chest, I was ready to kill.


	22. Chapter 22

I was seeing red. Literally. At first it had completely freaked me out as my vision was taken over by the shade when I heard Spencer's applause from behind me. Then as I turned as Edward had, I embraced the rage and fury inside of me. My heart doing double flips in my chest and my blood rushing with adrenaline. I wanted to lunge forward and take Alexia safely into my arms, then break every limb on Spencer's body until he begged for death. But, impatiently I held my ground.

He had a gun, and it was now directed at the girls chest, gathering the tears that dropped on it from her defenseless little eyes.

"Congratulations. You are the most superior of all the bioweapons we have created… And now, I give you a final challenge!" He shouted louder as the chopper that I had faintly heard earlier grew closer.

Then the bird appeared from over one of the massive buildings and swung around and aimed directly at me. There was a low hum as the machine gun barrels on either side of the heli started to spin slowly. Knowing that they wouldn't take long to quicken their pace and start firing away. I shoved Edward down and bolted away from everyone else.

Deafening shots followed close behind and with all of my strength and rage as motive I moved faster. I found a door to the nearest building and started to run down corridor that seemed to be nothing but glass window. They could see me here. Great. The glass shattered as they followed me, bullets hitting only half a foot behind me. I took the liberty of a full out jump and roll, bursting through a door and finding a room that was solid metal. The bullets rained down still and I could see the shape of them as they dented the walls inward. I had to cover my ears for the sake of my hearing.

Then there was no more, and the deadly hum of the barrels started to slow, the chopper was still close. Without a pause I ran back from where I came and jumped through a window where glass had been shattered and ran to get out of sight of whoever was piloting the damn thing. There was a sharp pain in my left calf and I looked at it for only a second, seeing that it had been grazed by a bullet. Shit. I was losing a lot of blood-

The chopper aligned directly in front of me and I looked up at it, the hum of the barrels starting up again. With nowhere else to run, I felt that I had done all that I could and hoped that the others would get in the first chopper and get the hell out of here before the worst happened…

Then the ground shook as massive footsteps got closer, and opened my eyes without realizing that I had ever closed them. It was Nemesis… Phil! Phil looked at me for a split second, grunted and then stepped in front of me, shielding me from what could have been my end. Then he lifted the massive grenade launcher that he carried onto his shoulder and fired without hesitation at the bird. The explosion was insane, I closed my eyes and when I opened them I could see the chopper hitting the ground with its blades still spinning.

When the blades hit the ground they propelled, broke off, and flew in all different directions. Including mine… The last thing I saw before I braced myself was one of the pieces of metal flying in my direction…

My vision swam in and out… I looked around for my brother… and found him to my right… I could only see his mutated hand, limp, lifeless.

"Phil."

He wasn't moving, and the huge chunk of metal resting on him was on fire…

"Phil? No… Phil, I love you…"

I heard him say it. I heard him say it back, he had to be alive. He just needed help. A lot of help and then everything could go back as before… I heard him say it-

"Val? Val, wake up!" Edwards voice called from miles and miles away. I could still see my brother, he was reaching out.

"Val!"

I opened my eyes. Edward was above, the right side of his body glistening in red. I felt a warm something drip down my cheek into my ear.

"Edward, I heard him say it!" I told him madly, my voice weak. "He's alive Edward, we can fix him."

"Val, we have to go." Edward's voice was cracking, his eyes swimming. "We have no time."

I allowed him to pick me up, only because I couldn't do it on my own and I needed to get to my brother. I knew that he would take me there, Edward was always the one that I could count on-

"Where are we going?" My voice was harsh. "He's over there! Why are you leaving him?"

"Val, we have to get out of here."

"He's alive and your leaving him, you leaving my brother to die."

I felt betrayed as Edward brought me closer to the chopper that had been meant for Phil all along. The superior child, the superior brother! He was the superior one. He needed to be on the chopper. The only sane thought that gripped my mind was to tell me that I was on the brink of insanity. But I ignored it, I was sane in wanting to bring my brother…

He was still alive.

HE WAS!

Wasn't he?

I screamed, shrilled, jerked and fought. Then I was so sore that I gave up only for the moment, I wouldn't stop until… I was being manhandled into the plane by Jill and Edward. They forced me into a seat and Edward leaned down and buckled me into place. For a moment I fought against the harness, and then my hands involuntarily dropped into my lap. I looked up and saw tears rolling down Edwards cheeks as he looked at me. Then he cleared his throat and wiped them away, looking much like his father as he set his face sternly.

"Phil is dead. Oliveria is dead. Leon is piloting and Jill is taking care of Spencer. Claire is with Alexia across from you. We're getting out of here." He settled into the seat beside of her just as a gun shot sliced into the too quiet air.

Jill boarded and gave a thumbs up to the front to Leon. "Good to go. Hurry."

Just before the back of the bird closed up I could see a massive hoard of the undead advancing on where we had just been. Jill had not killed Spencer, but he was on the ground flailing around helplessly when many of his little creations surrounded him and began to eat him alive. A sick yet satisfying yell sounded over the now lifting helicopter we were settled in. The bastard was dying a slow and horrific death.

My line of sight settled on my knees, I didn't feel like looking around at anyone. Warm tears were still falling, and I just began to notice the massive headache I had. I brought my right hand up to the vantage point of my pain and my fingers touched a moist spot in my hair. I looked at my hand and it was covered in blood. A shadow stretched over me and I looked up to see Jill standing there.

"Ouch." She smiled at me kindly, one that I didn't have the strength to return. I could see that her eyelashes were wet, meaning that she had just recently dried up tears herself. She took out a wet blue cloth and put it on my head. "I want you to hold that there, put a little pressure on it."

I obeyed and when she stepped aside, I looked across from me and could see Claire holding Alexia in her arms. The poor little girl was still sobbing and it made my heart heavier. I felt a fresh wave of tears warm my cheeks and looked away before I felt the urge to scream. Edwards hand rested on my thigh gently. I looked to him and he captured my face with both hands and kissed me tenderly. A ghost of what I used to feel when he did this tried to bust forward and become solid. But it faded as fast as it came.

"It will never be the same." I mumbled.

"What?" Edward looked at me, his expression heartbroken.

"Happiness."

Edward didn't say anything, he just gave me a look that spoke louder then anything he could have said. He knew that everything had changed, he knew like me that this adventure had many more turns and twists before we got to the bottom of it. He knew that there was so much more time to invest in what we were apart of. They could blow up the city and attempt to get rid of all the evidence of Umbrella's mistake. But it lived in me, which meant it was now apart of our lives.

And, in my point of view, there was nothing to lose. Each of them had nothing more to lose, and would lose nothing else. My brother had been the last victim as far as I was concerned. I knew as long as Edward and I stood beside of each other, we would survive this. We wouldn't lose…

"There it is! There it is!" Leon's edgy voice shouted out from the pilots seat. "The bomb! EVERYONE HOLD ON!!!"

Through all of the chaos of the others moving around and making sure they were buckled safely, I could see out of one of the windows. There was a huge missile, leaving a clouded trail behind it heading straight for the middle of Raccoon City, the very heart of it all. We were about two football fields away from where the thing hit. A huge mushroom smoke cloud formed from where the bomb landed, and then there was a blinding white light that flashed into the chopper through all of the cracks and openings.

Then the chopper started to rumble, and the whole thing was vibrating out of control. I looked down and could see that Edward and I had clasped both of our hands together in a messy knot. Our knuckles were white from straining to keep hold. There were far away yells from the others and beeping. I looked into Edwards eyes, and saw that he was looking at me with love and fear. From the corner of my eye I saw something behind him to the left.

We were spinning out of control, and the thing was a piece of heavy metal that had dislodged itself from the back and seemed to be making its way in slow motion to the side of Edwards head. I took his shoulders and shoved him down into his knees just in time…

And felt a horrible pain on the right side of my face, until everything went black.

***

"Such a beautiful little experiment."

I put my hand to the glass tank and rejoiced, thinking of my success. It didn't take too long to cover up the Raccoon City incident, the press ate up ever word I said. The world was falling into the beginning of the end. Just as I planed. Valerie Pagan was mine to control, to play with, to enjoy. She was the Eve to my Adam. And I was god.

"Flip the switch." I said, seeing her eyes snap open and look around in wonder. "Its time."

I watched as the water around her drained and the air hit her naked skin, goose bumps erupting all over her. When the water was gone I hit the switch to open the tank and watched her fall onto a gurney, remembering the day I brought her into the hospital out of the mansion. That was the beginning of her story, the creation.

She lay there shivering and one of my scientist came up to her and covered her with a lab coat. She jerked and looked around at all of us, then the focus landed on me.

"Bring me a paper and a pen." I commanded, and seconds later they were in my hands. I grabbed Valerie Pagan and sat her upright and then handed her the clipboard with the paper and then the pen. "Write something down… Write your name."

She looked at me, a puzzled expression on her face. Then looked at the objects in her hand in turn. She placed the ball of the pen on the paper and started scribbling loops around it. I kneeled down and took her chin and forced her to look at me.

"Do your remember anything?"

"Re- rememb…" She muttered, breathing heavily.

"What is your name?"

"M- my… my name?" Her voice was raspy.

"Yes, who are you? What is your name?"

"My name?" Her brow furrowed. "My name."

I stood and walked away from her, looking at my staff. "I want a twenty four hour observation. A complete set of blood work, chemical and electrolyte analysis by the end of the day."

"Sir?" One of the men behind a computer attempted to get my attention but I ignored him.

"Advanced reflex testing is also a priority. Electro impulses monitored-"

"Sir!"

"What is it!" I glared at no name and he looked at me nervously. I shoved him out of the way and looked at the monitor, seeing the brain activity was through the roof-

"My name…" Valerie said, I looked over at her and could see that the innocence and confusion had disappeared from her face. "Is Valerie… and I remember everything."

Everyone paused and she looked directly at me and smirked. Then she grabbed the pen out of a nearby scientists hand and swung it towards his eye, then stopped short. The man was frozen in fear for a moment and then she elbowed him in the face. I stepped back and watched her fight her way out, slightly awed by her accuracy. She fought them all of with one hand holding the lab coat around her. Even a taser didn't phase her and she ripped the prongs out of her shoulder and threw it back at the guy who shot her.

She fought them all off with ease and then when they were all down started to come at me. "Albert Wesker."

"The one and only."

She reached me and attempted to strike, but I took her by the shoulder and shoved her away from me. Her body went flying across the room and smashed into the glass tank that she had been cocooned in for the last three months. I walked up to her and lifted her chin to level with my face yet again, she struggled to stand.

"Everything that you were is gone. Valerie Pagan is just a name and you'll soon come to find that even escaping this place will do no good. But there's the door, I'll let you learn that lesson on your own. Lets see how you truly work precious."

I took her and lifted her up my her neck and carried her out of the room, then threw her down the concrete hall. She sat upright and looked at me after she landed, complete loathing shaping her features.

"I look forward to seeing you again, remember I will only be one step behind your every move…"

I shut her out and went to the security monitors to watch. She stood and put the coat on, wrapping it around her. She hesitated, looking around as if thinking that this was a trap, and I smiled. It was like watching my own little lab rat try and find her way out of a maze. She continued to make her way down the hall and camera 2b zoomed in on her, then an alarm went off. Senseless security guard. I watched her focus on the camera just as it focused on her, her pupils dilating.

By now the security guard was bleeding out of orifice every in his body and soon would be dead. She continued to walk and got to the entrance of the building, I switched to the outside cameras.

An entire police force was waiting for her just outside and countless lasers aimed all over her body. Then, a SUV pulled up and halted. Four people got out of the car and I smiled, seeing Valerie grin as well. Jill Valentine, Leon S. Kennedy, Claire Redfield, and Edward Mason. All suited up and commanding that the force let them handle the prisoner.

Clever.

They took her inside of the vehicle and made it to the front gate. The security personal then beeped me. "Sir?"

I smiled, pressing the button to respond and feeling the rush of a new challenge. "Let them go."

I walked to the desk and picked up a remote. The remote that would start it all…

"Activate Project VP."


	23. AN

**I would first like to thank all of the readers who made it this far. YOUR AWESOME! But I do want to know one thing…**

**I'm asking someone, anyone, to tell me if they want a continuance. I have a great idea for a sequel to this, and I know its weird because you don't see many fanfic's with sequels… but why the hell not right? I'm sort of attached! **

**So, if you want to raise your hand and bless me email me at the adress on my profile. **

**I don't even care if its one person who wants it, I will do it! **

**Thanks for reading! **

_**Thanks you to my best friend for life Michelle who is also a diehard fan of resident evil and twilight and gave me fantastic ideas when I was stuck! **_


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